Welcome to my World
by Skylar Ania Dahlberg
Summary: *static* Jayce: *looks at camera* To whomever is watching, you are no longer safe. He's returned; I can't say more than that. Adam: Jayce! Watch it! Jayce: *screams* *explosion, static* (Btw, I don't own Hunger Games, Nerf, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, or any other reference I make in this story. Just a disclaimer.)
1. 1 Testing Week is Over

_Tick, tick, tick… _My head pounds as I continue to scribble down the essay, and the clock doesn't help very much. It's PARCC testing week. I know, best week of the year, yay… I usually have no problem with essays, but I feel more stressed than normal. My hands begin to tremble, causing me to misspell a few words. I fix them and try to avoid looking to my left to face Adam, my best friend. I start to shake slightly; what's with all the stress? This isn't even included in our actual grade! It's just for the schools to have good ratings, like, "Oh, look! We rate a ten! Come live in our area! We have the smartest students and, by extent, the best teachers!" I roll my eyes at the thought. Yeah, eighth grade hasn't really been the best for me. I glance at my watch, which reads, "1:42 PM". Three minutes until class ends. Relief flushes through me as I finish with the last sentence. Great timing, too; my teacher passes my desk and swipes the paper from me, returning to his desk and reading it over. I attempt to set my pencil down on my desk, but it slips out of my grasp and lands on the tile floor. The sound of my pencil hitting the ground catches the attention of everyone else in the room and they all turn to me, even the teacher. I bend over in my chair and reach for my pencil, but Adam picks it up before I have the chance. He holds it out to me as I sit back up, smiling kindly, and I grab it by the eraser, silently thanking him. Adam lets it fall out of his grasp and I pull out my binder, placing the pencil back in the pocket where I originally had it. I close my binder and- _RIIIIIIIIING!_ I jump up from my seat, clutching my binder, and walk quickly out of class with the other students following behind me. The crowd moves as one as every kid marches down the hall to return their books to their lockers. I stride down the opposite way and stop at my locker. I spin the dial to the first number of my locker combination; _47, 39…_

"Hey Jayce," My thoughts are broken by a call of my name. I groan in annoyance, I know exactly who this is. I glance over my shoulder and turn my attention back to my locker upon spotting Mason. Mason was hitting on every girl in his grade, including me. I was usually his main target; lucky me…

"So, Jayce," He continues; does this guy ever shut up? "I was wondering if you would-."

"Look, Mason," I interrupt, shoving my books into my locker, "I can't. I'm having a few friends over tonight, so I can't, okay?" He rolls his eyes.

"But wouldn't you like to spend more time with me?" He bends down to my level and kisses my cheek. I'm going to have to bleach that later… or burn it off. I straighten up and slam my locker closed, spotting Ty chatting with Jason and Husky behind Mason. His eyes dart to me and I give him a pleading look. Ty nods in understanding and stops his conversation with the two.

From a few feet away, Ty yells, "Come on, Jayce, you're going to be late for class!" I turn back to Mason.

"I got to run." I say and step around him, running over to Ty.

"Gah," I groan, "Thanks for the save."

"You looked like you needed it. Now come on," Ty urged, "or else we really are going to be late." We turn the corner and Ty, Jason, and Husky throw themselves into the boy's locker room, while I sprint into the girl's locker room. Just as I cross the threshold, I hear _RIIIIIIIIIIING!_ I sigh in relief and rush over to my gym locker, throwing it open after turning the dial.

"Good afternoon, Jayce," I glance over my shoulder as I slip my shirt off.

"Huh? Oh, Ms. Dirken, hi," I greet my physical education teacher and slip on my gym clothes.

"Was Mason giving you a hard time again?" She asks with a bit of a laugh following.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Your friend Jason told me when he came out of the locker room." I nod in understanding; seriously, Jason? I sigh and pull my golden brown hair back into a pony-tail, afterwards exiting the locker room. I spot Adam, Jerome and Mitch chatting and walking side by side down to the gym. I smirk and sneak up behind Adam, signaling Mitch and Jerome to be quiet as I see them start to giggle.

I let my head hover next to Adam's ear and whisper, "Notice me, senpai…" Adam shrieks and spins around, seeing me laughing my head off. Mitch and Jerome burst out laughing and I support myself against the wall since I almost double over from laughing. Ty runs out of the locker room, a worried expression plastered on his face, followed by Ian and Husky.

"What happened? Jayce, why'd you scream?" I try to explain what happened, but I couldn't stop laughing. This is rich; they thought I screamed. I point to Adam since my words seemed to fail me at this point. He rolled his eyes and threw one of my arms around his shoulders, half-carrying me down to the gym.

I can't stop smiling as we throw the doors to the gymnasium open. The schedule is messed up because of PARCC testing, so we had an hour in this class. It's my last class of the day and on a Friday, which relieves me. I never get enough sleep on weekdays. I sit in the middle of the gym with the rest of Team Crafted around me. We start to chat and Mitch explains why I can't stop smiling, which almost makes me break out into laughter again.

"Alright, class," Ms. Dirken shouts over the voices of the students, which quickly fade away, "because of the schedule, gym is an hour long, as most of you know. Due to this change, today will be free choice; you can either practice combat down here or head upstairs to the artificial environment to practice stealth and survival. Go to your station!" I immediately charge for the weapons rack and grab a stone sword. Mitch and Jerome waltz over and grab their weapons of choice. For Mitch, a stone sword, and Jerome, a stone axe. I look around to see that the rest of the class gone. Wimps… I don't have a partner, so I'll have to take turns battling the two boys. And Jerome, when I say boy, I mean bacca. But he still handles a diamond axe like a pro. I volunteer to sit out first and hoist myself onto the bleachers. I reach into my pocket and pull out my pair of sunglasses, slipping them over my eyes. I lean against the cold metal bars of the railing and toss my legs onto the seats next to me. I stare unblinking at the wall in front of me, thinking, seeing where my mind takes me. I stay frozen in this position for at least ten minutes, Mitch and Jerome's battle cries sounding muffled to me. My mind wanders to when I met Mason in the hall, him kissing me on the cheek (still got to burn that part of my face off). I shiver at the thought. Grunts and cries sound from below me, but I'm not pulled from my thoughts. My vision begins to blur as I'm sucked deeper into my mind.

"Jayce," A muffled voice calls to me, "Jayce!" The voice's clearer the second time, but I'm still frozen in place. The bleachers shake slightly, signaling someone climbing up onto them. A hand places itself on my shoulder and shakes me lightly, but I still don't move. My sunglasses begin to slip off of my nose and are removed, which finally drags me back out of my thoughts. I look a bit to the right and I'm met with Mitch, who's at an uncomfortably close distance and his eyes full of worry.

"What," I whisper, smiling slightly.

Mitch hesitates before whispering, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, why do ask?"

"You weren't responding when we called for you."

"Oh… why are we whispering?"

"I don't know. You started it."

"Hey lovebirds," Jerome yells from below us, "you done yet?" I blush madly and so does Mitch. Mitch jumps down off of the bleachers first and turns to me, opening his arms as to catch me. I roll my eyes and jump down, tripping over my own feet. Mitch grabs my arms before I fall to the floor and pulls me to my feet. I slip out of his grasp and step back a little.

"Thanks," I say, punching his arm playfully. I turn to Jerome. "Let's battle." I hesitate, expecting to hear the Pokémon battle music, but raise my sword when I don't. Jerome comes sprinting towards me and I block his axe as he brings it down on me. I push him back and he nearly trips. He tries to kick me to the ground, but I jump back, his foot inches from my stomach. Jerome suddenly grabs my wrists and pins me against the wall, knocking the sword out of my hand. The stone sword hits the ground, clattering over my heavy breathing. Jerome smirks and he lets go of my wrists.

"GG," He says and turns towards the bleachers.

"We're not done yet," I proclaim and tackle him, snatching the axe from his hand. I pin Jerome down with my left arm across his chest, his stone axe in my other hand.

"The rules state that the winner has to pin down their opponent with a weapon to their neck. So, technically," I put the axe to his neck, "I win." Jerome's eyes widen in fear; did he think I was actually going to kill him? I suddenly fly off of him and land on my back, wincing at the impact. Jerome quickly appeared on top of me, his left arm pinning me to the floor with his stone axe to my neck.

"Thanks for the tip," He retorts and I roll my eyes, struggling to push him off.

"You son of a glitch," I mutter, smiling. Jerome winks at me and releases me from the floor, helping me onto my feet. I punch his arm playfully as he puts the stone axe back on the rack. I watch as Mitch jumps down from the bleachers, sword at the ready, but- _RIIIIIIIIING! _I curse under my breath and throw my sword back onto the rack, following Mitch back up to the locker rooms.

I exit the locker room only to be stopped by Ms. Dirken, her usual bright smile replaced by a subtle frown.

"The principal wants to see you." She explains; great, yet another thing to ruin my Friday. I nod and trudge into the principal's office, my hands trembling.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Bladen?" I ask my voice shaking as he turns in his chair to face me.

"Yes, Ms. Sariath, have a seat," He gestures to a very comfortable looking plush chair in front of the desk opposite him. I sit, but don't lean back in the chair.

"I received a letter addressed to you. It involves your parents," My heart stops; my parents… but they're currently fighting Herobrine's army. Mr. Bladen pushes an envelope that's sitting in front of him towards me. I slowly take it, staring at the message in the corner: _You'll see… _I shakily sigh and direct my attention back to Mr. Bladen.

"Thank you…" I say with my voice trembling and stand, turning towards the door. I'll read it when I get home… or when I have time. I invited TC over earlier and they'd arrive an hour after I got home. I push the door open slowly and force myself towards my locker, grabbing my book bag and hoodie. I slip on my hoodie, smiling weakly when I spot the black lightning bolts with yellow hazes on the sleeves, and sling my bag over my shoulder. I then slam my locker closed and sigh, resting my head against it. I miss my parents. I feel like a child, a defenseless child. I have no one to turn to in my time of need because I have to stay strong for my little sister, Mackenzie, or, as she likes to be called, Mak, who's a year younger than me. Footsteps sound next to me, but I ignore them and hit my head against my locker a few times.

"Stupid… ducking… Mason," I grunt with every hit.

"Jayce," Someone says behind me, "come on. We're going to miss the bus." I lift my head up, rubbing my forehead, to see Mak in almost the same outfit as me, except her hoodie was pink and didn't have my signature lightning bolt on the sleeves. Her light blonde hair frames her face perfectly, especially with her thick square glasses. I follow her as she leaps down the hall, letting her partially drag me. I eventually crawl onto the bus and throw myself into a seat in the back next to Mak, leaning against the window and closing my eyes.

"Seriously Mason? That's never going to work." My eyes snap open.

"Pssh, yes it will. I just need to get her to come over," I curse under my breath and sink into the seat, Mak eyeing me curiously. She glances at the seat in front of us and her eyes widen; Mason's sitting in the seat in front of us, I just know it. Mak seems to read the look in my eyes and nods, confirming that he's there. _Well, duck…_ I think. The rest of the bus ride would be torturous if he finds me. The bus shakes lightly as it moves down the road.

The bus stops a few times before reaching my neighborhood. I stand as the bus screeches to a stop and grab Mak's hand, pulling her off of the bus with me. I wish the bus driver a nice weekend as I pass him and leap down the steps. I sigh in relief and start walking down the sidewalk through the neighborhood. My neighborhood is at least a mile long… and I live at the end of it. Well, at least I get a good workout out of it. Most of it is forest anyways. I take my headphones from my bag and plug them into my phone, my sister doing the same with hers. I open iHeartRadio and tap _Roomie Radio_, _Won't Back Down _playing immediately after. My steps start to merge with the drumbeat and I mouth the words. At the second verse, a twig snaps behind me, snapping me out of my daze and forcing me to stop Mak in her tracks. I pull off my headphones and let them rest around my neck, staring into the trees where the snap had come from. Now that I truly analyze that section of the woods, I can see some trees cleared as if to create a path. I slowly approach the clearing to see a trail of gravel covering the ground from one side of the forest to here; so it _is_ a path. I stare into the trees with Mak behind me for at least a minute, and then turn back to the sidewalk to continue towards my home.

Hey, what's up? Skylar here! I just wanted to say...  
Jayce: Yeah, yeah, you want to thank your readers. You don't have any yet.  
Mak: Uh, yeah she does. *points at description*  
Jayce: God damnit...  
Skylar: Anyways, I just wanted to say thanks to the readers of my other stories for making them pretty popular.  
Jayce: But you only have-!  
Adam: *covers Jayce's mouth with hand* Go on...  
Skylar: Thank you, Adam. Anyways, put in the comments down below what you think will happen next because honestly I have no idea. *laughs nervously*  
Skylar out.


	2. 2 Our Hunger Games: Part One

I throw open the door and fall face first onto the couch, groaning for no reason.

"It's officially the weekend!" Mak yells in excitement from the kitchen and my only response is a groan, "And we have Spring Break! Come on, Jayce, the guys are going to be here in an hour."

"But I don't want to get up," I moan, my voice muffled by the soft cushioning of the couch… so soft… I feel myself slowly falling asleep. No! No, the guys are coming over soon… but it's so soft…. No! I lift my head up, shaking it vigorously and gaining balance on my feet. I then amble into the kitchen and throw an arm around my sister.

"Before the guys come," Mak starts, not making eye contact with me and continuing to make a peanut butter sandwich, "we need to figure out what we're going to do."

"I already told you," I retort, "We're recording a real-life Hunger Games. All we need to do is get the teams into place and we already have enough weapons," I gesture to the large pile of Nerf guns, jerseys, and backpacks which I have packed with random survival equipment. Mak rolls her eyes and giggles.

"You really want this video, huh?"

"Yep," I kiss my sister's forehead and walk to the door, grabbing my sword in its sheath and wrapping it around my waist, "and I need to grab a few things from the store. I'll be back in a flash, and then the guys can help us set up." I throw myself onto the front porch and slam the door closed, hearing the lock click behind me. I then march down the path that cuts through the woods to the store.

{Time Lapse because I'm lazy}

I exit the store and try to bare the extra weight of four plastic bags, whose handle are digging into the flesh of my palm, starting to once again walk on the forest path to my house. The path is covered by mass amounts of trees, which go on for miles, so it was peaceful. The only disturbance to the silence was the din of chirping birds and the leaves and twigs crunching and snapping beneath my feet. It's quiet, other than that… too quiet. I stop in my tracks and strain my ears, searching for the smallest sound of a threat. I put the two plastic bags in my right hand in my left and reach for my sword. Sudden hot breath on the back of my neck causes me to tense up, but I quickly escape the feeling and spin around, putting my the tip of my blade to the neck of –

"Whoa, Jayce," Adam says, putting his shaking hands up, "It's just me… and the guys." He jerks his thumb behind him and I spot the rest of Team Crafted, except Mitch and Jerome, either trying to hold back laughter or rolling, literally rolling, on the ground laughing. I note their suitcases behind them; they were coming to stay at my place since their parents would be out of town for Spring Break due to business matters. And all of them… it's weird, right? But I don't question it. If they need my help, I'll gladly give it.

"Sorry," I mutter and put my sword back in my sheath, "I'm just a bit jumpy. It's usually pretty quiet when I walk home from here." Ty walks over from the group, still chuckling a bit, and grabs two of the plastic bags in my left hand, walking down the path with the rest of TC. Jason does the same with the other two plastic bags and I walk at the back of the group, thinking. Adam glances over his shoulder and slows down to walk next to me.

"Are you okay?" He asks and I nod.

"So did you leave Tyler at home?" I ask, seeing as Adam's younger brother, whose Mak's age, is not with us. He stops in his tracks and I sigh.

"You left him at home, didn't you?" Ian asks from in front of us and Adam nods. The snap of a twig behind me startles me and the others, forcing me to pull my sword out of its sheath once again. I spin around and crash tackle the person behind me, who I find to be Mitch. My snarl breaks into a smirk and I keep the sword to his neck with my right hand while resting my head on the other, my elbow on his right shoulder.

"Hey," I greet casually, "you having a good day?"

"Other than this," Mitch replies, "yeah, it's been fantastic." I tap his nose for absolutely no reason and stand up, holding my hand out to help Mitch to his feet. He grabs it and I pull him up.

"Like I said in gym," Jerome says, "_lovebirds_." I roll my eyes, trying to hide the fact that I was blushing, and wave to Tyler, who comes down the path moments after Jerome's comment.

{Another Time Lapse}

I throw the door open to my house, yelling, "Mak, the guys are here!" She bolts down the stairs and crash tackles Tyler. Those two have been best friends ever since we moved here, which was a few years ago. I lean over to whisper in Adam's ear.

"The ship is real?" I mutter.

"It's real." He murmurs back and I giggle. I spot the large pile of equipment for our video on the couch and turn to the guys.

"Alright, we discussed the game plan at school. Everyone knows what to do?" Everyone nods in reply and I turn to Mak and Tyler, "You'll be our camera people." I hand them both Vlogging cameras and they exchange glances, smirking. I turn back to the group of eighth graders.

"Make-up," I state, and my comment receives many confused looks, "For the video, we need the look so we can act the part." I throw open the cabinets and pull out my professional make up kit, the kind usually used for actors in movies.

"I know a guy," I say, taking Ty into a different room and sitting him down in a chair, beginning to work on his appearance. I make it look as if he had a legit scar on his cheek, mess his hair up a little, and put a few small rips in his clothes. I do the same for everyone except Mak and Tyler, making each look as if they had been forcefully captured. And now it's my turn. I sit down in the chair and let Mak rip my sleeve, using the make-up to seem as if I have a large gash in my arm. In the end, I have a small gash in my back, on my arm, and on my cheek. My hair is tied into a side braid, the shorter hair sticking out, with a purple highlight. I reenter the living room and smile at the Team.

"All we need now is to decide the teams." Jerome grabs Mitch by the arm and hugs him tightly; not letting go and snarling at us playfully like a wild animal. Arms wrap around my torso and I find myself being slowly dragged into the corner by Ty; we always pair up when it comes to PvP. I glance up at him, laughing.

Without looking at Ty, I ask, "Is this necessary?"

"No," He replies, "but it's fun." I roll my eyes and watch as Adam and Jason and Ian and Husky team up while being dragged into the corner by Ty, who, when we reached the corner, is stroking my hair and impersonating Gollum from The Lord of the Rings.

"Okay," I announce, trying to escape Ty's grip, "this is getting awkward, so let's set up!" I slip out of Ty's grasp and grab a few bags from the pile on the couch, hauling them outside with the others following suit. I trek deep into my heavily forested backyard and stumble upon the clearing I had found a few days prior. I drag the backpacks to the center and throw them into a pile, the others doing the same with their loads. (That last part sounds wrong to me :/) I turn back to the Team.

"For platforms for the tributes," I explain, hauling some empty circular tubs I found in my basement and painted, making them look like small platforms, "I found these. I played around with a bit of Redstone and now, with a press of a button, glass tubes will rise out of them and act as containers for the tributes." I pass one to each of them and they set them in a circle around the mass of bags in the center. I pat the remote in my pocket and smile and turn just in time to see Mak and Tyler crashing through the trees, racing one another. I slip the remote out of my pocket and hand it to Tyler.

"You know what to do, guys. We just need to get in our positions for the video." I turn back to the older kids and yell, "Positions, guys!" I run over to my own position, which is where the video will start, with Tyler on my tail. I sprawl out on the ground and nod at Tyler, signaling to start the recording. I love to role-play, so recording videos like this makes me really giddy and excited. I close my eyes, waiting for Tyler's signal and wiping the smirk off of my face.

"3…2…1…" Tyler whispers and I wait a few seconds before groaning quietly and opening my eyes. I sit up and clutch my forehead.

"Ugh," I moan, "what the hell…?" Still sitting, I look around, pretending to be confused about finding myself in the forest. I shrug and stand up, starting to walk in the direction of the clearing. I stumble into it and stare dazed at the platforms.

I scoff, "Hunger Games much?" and unconsciously step onto one of the platforms, seeing the rest of the group doing the same. I give Tyler the signal to press the button by tapping my foot. The glass suddenly shoots up, trapping me within it, and it startles me for real. I fake-panic and start hitting my fists against the glass, pressing the button on my platform with my foot that brings a large digital counter rising out of the pile of equipment.

"10," It thunders as the number appears on the screen and begins to count down. I look around and see the others, mostly Mitch and Jerome, dazed by my work.

"3…" I get ready to sprint, "2…" I take a deep breath, "1… 0" I bolt for the center, grabbing the first bag my eyes spot, and change direction, heading into the woods. Tyler was running beside me with the camera; it's going to be on my channel, so it'll be in my perspective. I skid to a stop and start to climb the nearest tree, hoisting myself up by grabbing branch after branch. I continue up the tree slowly so that Tyler can film me from a bit higher and from the tree next to mine. I settle on a branch about thirty feet off the ground and begin to dig through the bag, pulling out a violet jersey, a Nerf Elite Retaliator, a Nerf Barricade RV-10, and two other pistols along with tons of ammo. I smirk and slip on the jersey, putting the Retaliator and Barricade RV-10 back in the bag. I hook the pistols to my belt and jump off the branch, grabbing another once ten feet from the ground and climbing down from there. Tyler brings the camera a bit closer to me, zooming in on my upper body, and tries to reduce the shaking of it.

"I've gotta find Ty," I murmur loud enough for Tyler to hear me and bolt towards the center. I halt and hide myself behind a bush, seeing Jason and Adam enter the clearing. Tyler focuses the camera on them and zooms in, and then turns it back to me. I grab a pistol from my belt and aim for Jason. I take a shaky breath before pulling the trigger, sending the bullet flying towards Jason and it hits him square in the chest. He falls to the ground, pretending to be shot by a real gun. Adam kneels next to him and turns his attention to where I am. He smirks, taking out his Nerf assault rifle.

"Come on out," He yells to the trees, sounding a bit crazed, "I know you're there, Jayce!" I put on a fake mask of fear as he stops turning and aims right for me. I silently slip behind the tree next to me as Adam shoots the bush. I take a few shaky breaths before sprinting off into the forest. I'm suddenly crash tackled to the ground by Ty, who puts a Nerf gun to my head.

"Jayce," He snarls.

"Ty," I whimper, "please, you would never kill me. I know you."

"So… team?" He asks and I nod. Ty removes the gun and helps me up, running with me when Adam suddenly crashes through the trees and almost spots us. I grab Ty's hand and pull him over to a tree, beginning to climb up. Tyler, knowing my plan, is at the top when I get there and we wait for Ty. I lean back on the branch, panting, and Ty sits next to me. I rest my head on his shoulder and close my eyes.

"Let the shipping commence," Ty gasps in between pants and I smile, laughing silently. Tyler stops the recording, hearing his cue, and he climbs down the tree with Ty and me following.

"Alright guys," I yell, "Come back to the house!" I start to walk back to my house with Ty and Tyler, laughing.

"'Let the shipping commence'? That wasn't scripted, Ty." I tell him, a slight laughter behind it. He shrugs and I begin to slow down. Ty slows down next to me and picks me up bridal style. The guys know I have asthma that's triggered by excessive exercise, but it doesn't stop me from making role-playing videos. I actually had an asthma attack in fifth and sixth grade, and I almost died, but TC was by my side the whole time. ( watch?v=updoMIHM...)

"They're gonna clean up your looks," I start to sing, "with all the lies in the books to make a citizen out of you. Because they sleep with a gun and keep an eye on you, son, so they can watch all the things that you do. Because the drugs never work, they're gonna give you a smirk 'cause they've got methods of keeping you clean. They're gonna rip up your heads, your aspirations to shreds, another cog in the murder machine."

Ty joins me once I start to sing the chorus, "They said all teenagers scare the living shit out of me. They could care less as long as someone'll bleed. So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose. Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me.

"The boys and girls in the clique, the awful names that they stick; you're never gonna fit in much, kid. But if you're troubled and hurt, what you got under your shirt will make them pay for the things that they did. They said all teenagers scare the living shit out of me. They could care less as long as someone'll bleed. So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose. Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me. Oh yeah!  
"They said all teenagers scare the living shit out of me. They could care less as long as someone'll bleed. So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose. Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me. All together now! Teenagers scare the living shit out of me. They could care less as long as someone'll bleed. So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose. Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me. Teenagers scare the living shit out of me. They could care less as long as someone'll bleed. So darken your clothes or strike a violent pose. Maybe they'll leave you alone, but not me." I laugh as Ty throws the door open and sets me down on the couch. Mak runs in with her camera and begins to film me and Ty on the couch.

"Hey guys," I address the camera as the others flood in, "it's me Jayce, and what you just saw was a new series where Team Crafted…" Shouts of greeting from the guys erupt around the room, "…and I are in our own version of the Hunger Games. As the story progresses, more of the reason why we're there will be shown. We'll see you in the next episode!" I wave at the camera and Mak shuts it off. I lean on Ty's shoulder and immediately fall asleep. I'll post it tomorrow.

Hey guys! Skylar here and I wanted to say thanks for all the reads! I didn't know this would be so popular.  
Jayce: And you might want to expect bloopers for the filming of the Hunger Games TC and I played!  
Adam: That was supposed to be a surprise...  
Mitch: Yeah, thanks Jayce.  
Jayce: *shrugs*  
Skylar: *rolls eyes* Anyways, thanks for reading! I actually based Jayce off of me and Mak off of my best friend. Thanks for the inspiration Lydia!  
Mak: Yeah, without her, I wouldn't even be a character.  
Jayce: Well, you would, but your personality would be different.  
Mak: Oh...  
Jayce: *hugs Mak*  
Jerome: Let's go play the Hunger Deens!  
Everyone: Yeah!  
Skylar out.


	3. 3 Just a Normal Morning

(Ty's POV)

Mak turns off the camera and something falls onto my shoulder. I look to my right and see Jayce's head resting on my right shoulder, her eyes closed. I smile; she looks pretty cute when she's asleep… Wait, what? I shake my head lightly to clear the thought. _Come on, Ty. You know Adam has a crush on her…_ _Besides, she's had romantic moments with all of us._ I put an arm around Jayce and pull her closer as the guys sit down around us.

"Should we edit the video for her," Ian asks in a hushed voice, "or let her do it?"

"Let her do it," Jason replies, "We have no idea how she wants it. Jayce's not that predictable."

"I'll show you to your rooms," Mak whispers and gestures for us to follow her upstairs. Trying not to wake Jayce, I slowly and silently pick her up bridal style and follow Mak. As I find Mak, I see the others gone and one of the doors shutting, but Mak still stands in the hallway. She spots me and Jayce climbing up the stairs and silently directs me to Jayce's room. The door creaks as Mak slowly opens it and I slip inside, placing Jayce on her bed and exiting without a sound. I look at Mak and she jerks her thumb at the first door on the left from the stairs. Nodding as thanks, I slip into the room, seeing Adam and Jason on their beds removing their make-up and their suitcases on the floor next to them.

Upon spotting me, Adam explains, "We didn't bring the suitcases up."

"You're a wizard, Harry," Jason says, humming the Harry Potter theme afterwards. Adam and I join in and we get a bit too loud. The door flies open, which hits my side and throws me to the ground. I look up to see Mitch standing in the doorway, holding the door knob.

"Go to bed," He groans, "It's almost ten." I look to Adam and Jason in surprise, who return the gesture, as Mitch slams the door closed; we were out for that long? I shrug and giggle uncontrollably, Adam and Jason joining in as I reach up and flip the light switch, making us cope with complete darkness. Without even bothering to stand, I crawl over to my bed and throw myself onto it. I black out just as my head hits the pillow. (If only that would happen in real life, Ty, but this is a story.)

(Jayce's POV)

_"__Jayce," someone screams, "Jayce…"_

_"__G-Guys," I mutter back, wandering through the forest in which I'm trapped. I don't know where I am. This looks nothing like the forest in my backyard. Where are they?_

_"__Jayce," the voice calls again, "Jayce," It repeats my name over and over. The wind's growing stronger. I'm being blown back. I can't stand on my own two feet. I fall to my knees, struggling to stand back up. _

_"__Jayce," I recognize the voice: Adam. I feel new strength helping me gain my balance._

_"__Adam," I scream._

_"__Jayce," it's different; Mak. Then Tyler calls my name… then Ty… Jason… Mitch… Jerome… Ian… Husky… I drop to my knees and cover my ears upon hearing the next shouts of my name, which come from my parents. I start to scream; nothing hurts more than hearing the pained cries of loved ones, especially mine. The wind stops. I look up and stop screaming, which is quickly replaced by tears flowing down my cheeks; the only thing I see is the lifeless bodies of my parents, Mak, Tyler, and TC, blood seeping out of the gashes made in their skin. A hand suddenly grips my neck and lifts me off the ground. I attempt to pry their fingers off and kick at my captor, but fail. I open my eyes, freezing in fear once I spot two lifeless white eyes staring back at me. Herobrine throws me to the ground._

_"__I'll come for you soon enough, my sweet," He says, sounding crazed. I push myself onto my elbows and begin to cough up blood. My vision grows darker and my elbows can't support me any longer. I fall to the ground, unmoving and my last breath escaping my lips._

My eyes snap open and I sit up, gasping for air. Was that a dream? I bolt to my bathroom and staring at myself in the mirror, seeing my hair still in the braid with the purple highlight. I look down at my arm and wipe my finger across the scar, smudging the make-up. I sigh in relief and reenter my bedroom, pulling a new outfit out of my dresser. I change into a pair of jeans, a purple tank top, and a short-sleeve black jean jacket that reaches down to just below my ribs. I slip on my black gloves and black sunglasses and trudge down to the kitchen. As I walk through the hall, I note the silence. It's peaceful, but it scares me. I turn on the stove and place a pan on it, retrieving pancake mix from the cabinet and pouring it on the pan.

After a few minutes of making pancakes, I set the plates on the counter and grab three Nerf pistols from my bag as well as a few ammo packets. I put the ammo in my pocket and hook all but one pistol to my belt, climbing up the stairs and stopping in front of Mak and Tyler's room. I turn the knob and leave the door ajar, kicking it down at firing my Nerf gun at Mak and Tyler. They sit up abruptly and I throw them each a pistol and an ammo packet.

"Help me wake the others," I command and throw myself down the hall towards Adam, Ty, and Jason's room, opening it just the tiniest bit. I try to contain my laughter as I kick the door open and fire a few bullets at Jason, Ty, and Adam. Adam, being himself, lies unfazed by this while Jason and Ty scream and hide behind their beds as protection. I stop shooting and just stand there, laughing my ass off. They grab their pillows and toss them at me, missing by a foot.

"Come on," I say between fits of giggles, "I made breakfast." Jason and Ty run down the hall towards the kitchen and I hear a sudden thumping on the stairwell. I bolt out of the bedroom and look down the stairs to see Ty on the floor rubbing his head while Jason stands next to him, laughing.

"Are you alright, Ty?" I ask, giggling a bit. He nods and I slip back into the bedroom, thinking of how I'm going to wake Adam. I kneel next to him on the bed and poke his face repeatedly. It doesn't work. I curse under my breath and lie down on my back next to Adam. He rolls over so that he's facing me with his eyes still closed and I smile, blushing. I've always had a crush on Adam, but I've been too afraid to say. As cover for it, I don't think about it when I'm around him. It helps, but there's still a yearning… I don't know if he likes me the same way… Adam suddenly reaches out and wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer to him with my back pressing against his chest. I smile; I know the perfect thing to say right now…

"Help, help, I'm being repressed!" I shout and Mak runs in, followed by Tyler. I wave casually to them as they break into wild laughter. I roll over to face Adam, seeing him still asleep.

"God damnit," I mutter and sigh, trying to come up with a new plan. I try poking his face repeatedly again, not expecting his eyes to open. My expectations are proven wrong; Adam's eyes slowly flutter open and land on me as I continue to poke his face. His face turns a deep shade of red, but he doesn't move from his position.

"I, uh…" He stutters, his eyes wide. I smile and, without meaning to, kiss him on the cheek, slipping out of his grip while he's stunned.

"Come on," I urge, walking to the door, "I made pancakes." I step out into the hall and freeze, realizing what just happened. I shake it off (*turns on Shake It Off*) and nearly trip myself as I descend the stairs. As I enter the kitchen, Nerf bullets fly towards me and nearly hit me, but I dodge them and leap behind the counter.

"Jayce," Ian yells from under the table, "Ty's gone crazy!" I risk a peek over the counter to see Ty holding up a Nerf RV-10 and aiming for me. I duck back down under the counter and reach for my pistol… but it's not there. I look down at my belt to see my pistol gone; I left it upstairs. I groan and army-crawl to the other end of the counter. I spot the table, which isn't too far from where I am. The cloth lifts up and Ian gives me a pleading look. I return it by saying, 'I don't have my gun,' in sign language.

'Well, why not?' Ian asks in ASL.

'I left it upstairs.' Ian face-palms at my answer.

'Well, then come under with us!' I nod and glance around the corner at Ty, seeing his back turned towards us. I stand up, but hunch down so Ty won't spot me, and step back a few feet. I give a running start and do a somersault, ending up under the table with Ian… and Mitch, Jerome, Husky, Mak, and Tyler. Footsteps on the stairs signal that Adam is coming downstairs, as well as his screams of terror while he gets shot by Ty. I poke my head out from underneath the table.

"Adam," I yell and he spots me. I crawl back to the counter, seeing as Adam is playing dead by it, and drag Adam back behind it with me. When we're safe, I cover my head to block the oncoming Nerf bullets. I lie down and hold Adam's hand, mouthing, 'I'm so sorry.'

'It's okay.'

'No, it's not.'

'Jayce…'

'What?'

'He only got my arm.'

'Oh...'

'I love you.'

'I love you, too.'

'But, you know, as friends.'

'Yeah, I know.' Adam smiles before closing his eyes and I try to hold back tears; it looks as if he really did just die. A hand grabs my ankle and pulls me out from behind the counter. A Nerf gun is put to my head and a hand over my mouth. I thrash around in my captor's grasp and see that it's Ty. Everyone is screaming my name, except Adam, as they emerge from their hiding places.

"Come no further," Ty yells, "or I'll shoot." Everyone stops in their tracks.

"Ty," Mitch says, his voice shaking, "put the gun down. We can talk about this."

"In exchange for the release of Jayce," Ty spits out my name like it's a piece of garbage, "I want a life time supply of pancakes." I stop thrashing and turn to Ty as if to say, "Seriously". He shrugs and a thought comes to mind: Where the hell is Jason?

"Bring out the pancakes!" Ty demands.

"Uh… Jayce is the only one who knows how to cook." Jerome mutters and everyone glares at him, even Adam.

"That's exactly why I have captured her. Unless any of you can give me the pancakes, Jayce will be my pancake slave!" I pry Ty's hand off of my mouth.

"Then why the gun to my head?"

"Well, I… uh… ugh, fine," Ty pulls the trigger and the impact of the Nerf bullet hurts a little, "I didn't want pancakes anyway." I pretend to be dead and Ty tosses me to the others. Mitch catches me before I hit the floor and I silently thank him as he carefully lays me next to Adam.

"Ty," Jerome shouts, "you'll pay for that!" With my eyes closed, I can't really tell what's going on. I hear a groan next to me followed by a gasp and I feel myself being lifted into someone's lap.

"No, Jayce," Adam whispers, "I-I'm sorry, Jayce." I cough since my throat is dry and I can tell Adam's looking down at me, most likely confused.

"My throat was dry," I mutter, "Keep role-playing." I go limp and slow my breathing so that it's barely detectable. Bad idea; my head slips out of Adam's grasp and hits the tile floor. I wince in pain, tears pricking the corners of my eyes, and mouth 'Keep going'. My head returns to its first position and I can feel the back of my head throbbing. I lean on Adam's chest and he holds me close to him, rocking back and forth and stroking my hair. But seriously, where's Jason? Nerf gunshots sound around the room and well as thudding and I wince at each one.

"No," Adam shouts, "spare me!"

"Oh, fine," Ty says, "I'm only doing this because you're my best friend."

"But you killed everyone else, and you did Notch knows what to Jason."

"Oh, whatever," Ty responds and a Nerf bullet lands on my head after I hear a gunshot. Adam leans back against the cabinets.

"And… cut!" Jason shouts. So he recorded the entire thing… I'm okay with this.


	4. 4 Has This Become a Disney Movie?

I groan as I open my eyes, still leaning against Adam's chest, rubbing the back of my head. I hear the group laughing as they stand, rubbing the back of their heads as well. I begin to laugh and turn my attention to Adam, realizing his arms are still around me.

"So…" I laugh, "Do you guys want to have _actual_ breakfast now?" Everyone nods, but Adam doesn't move.

"Adam…" I whisper, poking his face.

"What, yeah," His eyes snap open and I giggle. He looks down at me and his face turns bright red, realizing his current position. I roll my eyes and unconsciously kiss his cheek, slipping out of his grasp and pulling myself onto my feet. I find a spatula and ask Mak to get out some plates.

{Time Lapse}

I take the last bite of my pancakes and trudge over to the sink, rinsing off my plate.

"Okay," I say with my voice louder than usual to grab the guys' attention, "we have two options; record the next part of the Games or just chill for the entire day. Honestly, I just want to relax. But I'm putting it to a vote. Those in favor of recording?" No one raises their hands, "Relaxing?" Everyone's hands shoot up, even mine. I giggle and my thoughts trail off to the letter. _"__It involves your parents,"_ My smile fades and I dart upstairs, throwing the door open to my room and kneeling next to my school bag. I dig through it and pull out the letter, staring at the message on the front, "You'll see…" I sit on my bed and flip the letter over, ripping the top to see what's inside. I take a shaky hand and slip the piece of paper out of the envelope. I only stare in horror at what I see; it's a photo. A photo of my parents' cold, lifeless corpses covered in blood, most seeping from the large gashes in their sides… and chests where their hearts would be. I feel tears pricking the corners of my eyes. My attention flickers to the message in the bottom right-hand corner: _"__They put up a fight, much like you would. I suggest you hide, not that it would make a difference. You wouldn't want your friends or Mak to end up like this, now would you? I'll find you, Jayce, and I'll make your life a living hell."_ I stand slowly, but my knees give out and I fall to the floor. I don't want to get up. I want to stay like this for the rest of my life. I hide my face in the crook of my arm and cry, still clutching the photo in my other hand.

I eventually run out of tears and the only thing escaping my throat are dry whimpers and soft groans. The door creaks open, but I don't move.

"Jayce," The person, who I quickly recognize as Jason, asks, "what…?" He trails off when he spots the photo in my hand and kneels down to look at it. He gasps and picks me up bridal style. I throw my arms around his neck and cry into his chest, silently pleading for this to be a joke. Jason sits on the bed with me still in his arms and I clutch his shirt as he pets my hair, trying to calm me down.

"I want my parents back…" I squeak and Jason wraps his arms around me, rocking back and forth. ( /watch?v=1G4isv_Fylg)

_"Oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo. Oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo,"_ Jason sings softly in an attempt to comfort me,_ "When she was just a girl she expected the world, but it flew away from her reach. So she ran away in her sleep and dreamed of para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise every time she closed her eyes. Oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo. Oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo."_ The door opens again and Ty, Mitch, and Jerome enter. Quickly realizing the situation, they join Jason without knowing what was wrong.

_"When she was just a girl she expected the world, but it flew away from her reach and bullets catching her teeth."_ Mitch begins, sitting next to Jason on the bed.

_"Life goes on, it gets so heavy. The wheel breaks the butterfly; every tear, a waterfall."_ Jerome continues, following Mitch's actions.

_"In the night, the stormy night, she closed her eyes. In the night, the stormy night, away she'd fly,"_ Ty finishes, copying the two, and then they all sing together, _"and dream of para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh. She dreamed of para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh."_ The door opens once again and Adam steps across the threshold, knowing almost immediately what to do.

_"La-la, la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la."_ They sing all together.

Then Adam goes solo, _"So lying underneath the stormy skies she said, 'Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh. I know the sun must set to rise. This could be para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, could be para-para-paradise, whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh. This could be para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, could be para-para-paradise, whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh. This could be para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, para-para-paradise, whoa-oh-oh oh-oooh oh-oh-oh."_

I build up enough strength to sing the last few vocalized notes,_ "Oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo..."_

"What's going on?" My little sister asks from the doorway with Tyler next to her, both exchanging nervous glances. I look up at Jason and he reads the look in my eyes, releasing me and I turn to Mak. I pat the bed beside me, gesturing for her to sit. Taking shaky steps, she denies the spot next to me and hops onto my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and leaning her head against my chest.

"I-I…" I whisper, my voice choked, "Mak, mom and dad, they… they're gone." She snaps her head up to look at me, her light blue eyes flooding with tears, and returns to her previous position, hiding her face in my chest as she cries. I turn to the guys and shoo them away in the nicest possible way I can. Before shutting the door, Adam gives me a sympathetic smile, which I return. I look down at my sister and an idea pops into my head. With her still clinging onto me, I shuffle on the bed so that I can reach my iPod. I search through the songs and find one. I click on it and sing along, returning to pet my sister's hair. ( /watch?v=-q9q6zl3WIs&amp;index=1&amp;list=PLrl0EN...) (Mak, _Jayce, __Both_)

_"__When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city to see a marching band. He said, 'Son when you grow up, would you be the savior of the broken, the beaten and the damned?'" _Mak looks up at me, teary-eyed, and smiles lightly, _"__He said 'Will you defeat them: your demons, and all the non-believers; the plans that they have made? Because one day I'll leave you, a phantom to lead you in the summer, to join The Black Parade.'"_ I help Mak to her feet and begin to circle her. She copies my actions, her hand in mine.

_"__When I was a young boy, my father took me into the city to see a marching band. He said, 'Son when you grow up, would you be the savior of the broken, the beaten and the damned?'"_ I drag my sister by both hands and begin to spin her in circles, stopping when it's my time to sing.

_"__Sometimes I get the feeling she's watching over me and other times I feel like I should go. And through it all, the rise and fall, the bodies in the streets and when you're gone we want you all to know: we'll carry on; we'll carry on and though you're dead and gone believe me your memory will carry on. We'll carry on and in my heart I can't contain it, the anthem won't explain it._

"A world that sends you reeling from decimated dreams; your misery and hate will kill us all. So paint it black and take it back, let's shout it loud and clear. Defiant to the end we hear the call to carry on. We'll carry on and though you're dead and gone believe me your memory will carry on. We'll carry on and though you're broken and defeated, your weary widow marches on."

_"__On and on we carry through the fears…"_

"Ooh-oh-ohhhh."

_"… __Disappointed faces of your peers."_

"Ooh oh ohhhh."

_"__Take a look at me 'cause I could not care at all!"_

_"__Do or die, you'll never make me because the world will never take my heart. Go and try, you'll never break me. We want it all, we wanna play this part. I won't explain or say I'm sorry. I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scar; give a cheer for all the broken. Listen here, because it's who we are! I'm just a man, I'm not a hero! Just a boy, who had to sing this song, I'm just a man, I'm not a hero! I… Don't… Care!_

_"__We'll carry on! We'll carry on and though you're dead and gone believe me your memory will carry on! We'll carry on and though you're broken and defeated, your weary widow marches on!"_

_"__Do or die, you'll never make me because the world will never take my heart. Go and try, you'll never break me! We want it all; we wanna play this part!"_

"We'll carry on!"

_"__Do or die, you'll never make me…!"_

"We'll carry on!"

_"…__because the world will never take my heart!" _

"We'll carry on!"

_"__Go and try, you'll never break me! We want it all, we wanna play this part!"_

"We'll carry on!" I fall back onto my bed, pulling Mak with me, and laugh. I can still feel tears streaming down my face, but I don't care. I settle down and sigh, opening my eyes to stare at the ceiling with a goofy smirk plastered on my face. I turn my head to Mak, gaining her attention.

"Be strong, okay? We can make it through this." I say and she nods her smile fading. I have to act fast. An idea pops into my head… again, "Hey Mak, you wanna play Truth or Dare with the guys? You know, to lighten the mood." The smile returns and she shoots up from the bed, nodding excitedly. I chuckle and throw myself off the bed as Mak dashes down the stairs, literally screaming my plan at the guys. I can only imagine their reaction. Adam's is kind of predictable…

"JASON, I'M STARTLED!" Knew it… I try to contain my laughter as I slide down the stair railing, seeing as I'm too lazy to walk. I cross my legs as I reach the bottom and place my hands in my lap.

"Is everything okay, guys?" I ask, laughter lacing my words, as I spot Adam hiding behind Jason and the others equipped with Nerf guns hiding behind the counter and couch.

"Jayce," Ty yells to me, "take cover! Your sister's gone insane!" I look to the middle of the room to see Mak jumping up and down energetically and squealing. I sigh, still smirking, and walk completely unprotected over to Ty. As I reach him, he pulls me down to sit next to him. His action doesn't turn out how he thought it would; instead of casually sitting down next to him, Ty pulling my arm results in me falling to the ground on my back, and, with his strong grip, Ty found himself on top of me. We both laugh awkwardly, feeling our faces heat up.

"I, uh…" Ty starts, "Yeah," He forces himself to sit back against the bottom of the couch and his face turns bright red. No doubt I look the same. I know I've had romantic moments with most of the guys in the past, but this seemed almost _too _romantic. We shake it off and go back to our little role-play… thing.

I peek over the top of the couch and stare at Mak, making sure my eyes and top of my head are the only parts of me visible to her. I sink back down and turn to Ty, smirking.

"I got dis." I state and return to my previous position, ready to tackle Mak, but… _Ding dong!_

"F**k!" I yell, annoyed, and storm over to the door, swinging it open. I instantly regret doing so.

"Hey baby," Mason greets, leaning with one arm against the doorway. _How. The. Hell. Did. He. Find. My. House? _I groan and go to slam the door, but Mason blocks it with his foot.

"What's the matter?" He coos, "Don't you wanna see me?"

"Frankly, no!" I retort.

"But don't you love me?"

"No."

"Aw, come on, sweetheart…"

"Piss off! I'm not your girlfriend, dumba**!"

"But-."

"Someone get me a Nerf gun!" I hold my hand out to the side and, surprisingly, my sword is thrown into it. I stare down at it in awe for a second before pointing it at Mason's neck, "Even better. Now go the f**k away! I don't like you and I never will if you keep acting like this! Not even as a friend! I've already had enough bullsh*t today without you here!"

"Well, then let me help-."

"_Leave…_" I command through gritted teeth.

"Why don't you-?"

"I already have a love life. Now _leave_." Acid laces my words as I bark them at Mason, who stands up straight and takes on a look of absolute disgust.

"Fine," he says, throwing his hands into the air, "you're a b*tch anyway." It stings, but I don't care. As long as he's not flirting with me anymore, I'm happy. I'm about to slam the door when I notice a rock on the porch. _Hmmm…_ I pick it up and toss it at Mason's head as he's walking away. It bounces off the back of his head and he spins around, rubbing the back of his head. I give him a cocky smirk and slam the door, locking it right after. I turn around, seeing the guys staring in awe.

"What?" I question.

"Y-You already h-have a-a love life?" Adam stutters, looking heartbroken. It's really a lie, though, and he didn't know it.

"I had to say something to get him to leave," I answer, trying to hide my slight blush, and slowly smirking as I realize I can toy with him about this.

"Why would you care?" I ask playfully, walking up to him.

"W-Well, I-I just… you… he… sh*t." I raise my eyebrow, still smiling.

"Well…?" Adam's face turns bright red as he realizes I'm inches from his face. (We're pretty much the same height, so… yeah.)

"I-I, uh… Y-You're like a younger sister to me and… I-I was just curious…"

"Uh huh, anyway," I say, turning to the rest of the group, "anyone want to watch a movie? I've got tons."

{Time Lapse brought to you by the sake of time lapses}

We settle down on the couch. Well, the guys do and I've sent Mak to bed. I'm currently kneeling in front of the DVD player, inserting the movie. We voted on horror, of course because we're that kind of people, so I found a really scary movie. I push the disc into the slot and run back over to the couch, throwing myself between Adam and the arm of the couch. I glance over to the arm chair and see Mitch leaning on Jerome's chest while Jerome has his arm around Mitch. I smile and nudge Adam, jerking my head lightly towards the arm chair. He chuckles and turns back to me.

"Merome, much?" He whispers and I nod, trying to keep my laughter contained.

"Jadam, much?" I turn and see Tyler smirking at me and Adam. That's when I realize Adam has his arm across the couch behind me.

"Oh, shut up, Tyler." I mutter, "And go to bed. You're too young to watch this with us. Go watch YouTube with Mak, since I presume that's what she's doing instead of sleeping." Tyler's eyes light up and he sprints upstairs. A pang of realization hits me; _he could go tell Mak about the ship…_ Adam sighs behind me.

"Siblings," He mutters, "am I right?"

"Oh, yeah," I murmur back and Ty starts the movie.


	5. 5 Awkward Moments

Jump-scare after jump-scare after jump-scare and I'm not quaking in my boots; well, I've seen stuff scarier than the ghost of a little girl with snow white skin and nothing but black pits for eyes haunting a hospital and some idiots venturing in there. I curl up on the couch next to Adam, leaning my head on his shoulder, and try to keep myself from falling asleep. My eyelids get heavy and start to droop. I let my eyes close and I cuddle closer to Adam, feeling myself go limp. This silence… wait, silence? What about the television? I force my eyes open and lift my head up, finding the room to be nothing but a dark abyss. Something warm snakes around my waist: Adam.

"What happened?" I mutter, afraid to raise my voice. I look around the room, shrieking once I spot two white glowing eyes beside me.

"Jayce- OH WHAT DA HELL!" Adam shouts and tightens his grip, now with both arms, around me.

"I said I would come for you, Jayce…" A deep, horrifying voice moans from the general area of the white eyes and Adam pulls me closer to him. "But I'll have a bit of fun with you first…" I sit frozen with fear, not daring to move as Adam hurls threats at the one and only… Herobrine… I snap to my senses and feel tears flooding my eyes as I begin to yell at the god.

"YOU KILLED MY PARENTS!" I leap off the couch, grabbing my sword and charging at Herobrine. I bring my sword down on him… but he snatches the blade in mid-air. I struggle to pull it out of his grip, but it's of no use. My sword is ripped out of my hands and a blow to my stomach knocks me back, hitting the wall. I'm not giving up just yet. I force myself onto my feet even though every part of my body is screaming at me not to and charge once again, this time receiving the hilt of a sword to the head. I slide across the wooden floor and stay like this for a few seconds.

"Jayce!" Adam screams and I slowly push myself onto my elbows. I sob quietly, remembering the photo.

"You… killed my parents… you heartless b*st*rd…" I mutter, hearing a pair of footsteps make their way over to me. A foot presses me against the cold floor and I squeak in pain. Herobrine smirks as he bends down to my level. A sharp pain shoots through my neck and I try to let out a scream, but it results in a strangled gasp. My head thuds to the floor and I go numb… for real this time.

"You think she's alive?" A sharp jabbing pain in my side causes me to flinch.

"Of course she is." It happens again.

"Then stop poking her with a stick, Mitch!" I groan softly, recognizing the voices.

"I would greatly appreciate that." I moan.

"Jayce!" Mitch, Jason, and Ian chorus together as I sit up and clutch my forehead.

"Alright, now what the hell happened?" I ask, looking at the sleeping figures of Adam, Ty, Jerome, Husky, Tyler, and Mak on the floor.

"I have no idea. We just blacked out and woke up here." Jason responds. I look to my left, seeing three doors that go somewhere.

"And Mitch," I say, turning to him, "why the hell were you poking me with a stick?"

"Um, because I wanted to."

"That's not an excuse."

"It's not even a full sentence." Jason points out.

"Well, thank you, grammar police." I thank sarcastically, rolling my eyes. I turn to the doors, "Where do you think they go?"

"J-Jayce…?" Someone whimpers behind me and I spin around, finding Mak sitting up and staring at me, terrified. I crawl over to her, engulfing her in a hug.

"It's okay, Mak," I reassure, not sure if the statement is true or not myself. I look back over to the guys. "What now, guys?"

"Jayce…" Adam murmurs to my right and I look at him, seeing him still asleep and twitching every once and a while.

"Adam," I whisper, poking his face, "wake up."

"Jayce… no…"

"Adam." I repeat, raising my voice.

"Come back, Jayce…"

"Adam!"

"JAYCE!" He shoots up, panting, and I flee over to Jason, running into his arms and abandoning Mak.

"Jason, I'm startled…" I mutter.

"That's my line!" Adam shouts, laughter lacing his words.

"I don't care," I retort, putting on a thick Swedish accent.

"Oh, so now you're PewDiePie?" Ian asks playfully.

"No," I answer snapping my head up and attempting to imitate one of Markiplier's characters, "I'm Wilfred Warfstache."

"Okay, so while we wait for Jayce to get her sanity back…" Mitch starts, getting cut off by me.

"You were the one poking me with a stick!"

"Whatever, let's just try to figure out where these doors lead."

"Or wait for the others to wake up." I suggest. Ty shoots to his feet, surprising me and Jason, which sends us falling to the floor.

"Ty, what the hell?" Jason shouts/laughs.

"I did it for the sake of…" He turns to look at us, "… Jayce, I thought we had a ship." He says with fake-hurt in his voice and gestures towards us and I look behind me to see Jason sitting on his ass and his arms around my waist as I sit cross-legged in his lap. Jason playfully smirks and pulls me closer.

"Looks like #Jaycon reigns supreme." Everyone gives him a confused look, even me, "Jaycon, like J-A-Y-C-O-N."

"Oh…" We all chorus together except for Jason, who smiles playfully at Ty.

"But I thought #Tyce was real. We had a moment during the Games." Ty whines, fake-hurt still in his voice.

"I honestly have no idea what's happening right now, so don't drag the Games into this." I protest, slightly blushing.

"Uh, guys," Adam intrudes from behind me and Jason, "I don't mean to interrupt… whatever that is, but where are we?" I glance around the room, seeing nothing but the silhouettes of my friends and my sister. Herobrine's smug words echo through my mind, _"__I'll have a bit of fun with you first…"_ I shudder a bit and Jason, noticing this, hugs me tighter for reassurance.

"Herobrine's trying to mess with us." I proclaim, slipping out of Jason's grasp and standing. "It's a test. We just don't know what kind."

"Well, I guess we'll have to figure out then!" Tyler yells, jumping to his feet. By this point, everyone's woken up. I turn back to the doors.

"Three different doors…" Husky starts.

"…three different tests." Jerome finishes.

"Teams…?" I suggest. Mak, Tyler, and Adam practically glide over to me while Jerome, Ty, and Mitch and Jason, Ian, and Husky team up. (A/N: Many much and :3) My team takes the middle door, Ty's takes the left, and Jason's takes the right. I reach out and grab the door knob, twisting it slowly and pushing the door open. I step through to find a thin hallway lined with mirrors. I shudder; I hate mirrors, especially in large quantities. It always makes me feel like I'm being watched… and I _hate_ that feeling. Looking at the mirrors, I notice one has a red tint to it and, being the idiot I am, approach it. Ignoring the calls from the rest of my team behind me, I slowly reach my hand out to graze its surface, but my hand passes through it. I pull my hand back out of the mirror quickly, but I'm still attracted to it.

"IAN!"

"MITCH!" The sudden screams of my friends' names snap me back to reality and I rip my gaze away from the mirror. I look up to see no roof to the hall.

"Guys," I shout, "what happened?"

"Mitch just got pulled into a mirror!" Ty yells.

"So did Ian!" Jason replies.

"Okay, we have to avoid them then!" I command, taking steps away from the mirror, my eyes now trained on it. I stop in the middle of the hall, unable to look away.

"Adam," I say, my voice shaking, "drag me."

"What?"

"Drag me; I can't look away from it." I try to hold myself back from stepping toward the mirror and Adam, noticing my actions, sprints over to me, engulfing me in a hug. The sudden action forces me to stare at Adam's chest instead of the mirror.

"Thank you," I whisper as he begins to saunter with me in his arms down the hall away from the mirror.

"Adam? Jayce? What happened? We heard the conversation." Jerome shouts.

"Jayce was transfixed by one of the mirrors!" Tyler retorts and I look back at him.

"Do you even know what that word means?"

"What? Transfixed?"

"Yeah…"

"Yeah, I do."

"What's it mean then?"

"To cause someone to become motionless with horror, wonder, or astonishment. Synonyms include: mesmerize, hypnotize, spellbind, bewitch, captivate, entrance, enthrall, fascinate, absorb, enrapture, grip, hook, rivet, and paralyze." I stare stunned at Tyler. "What?"

"Adam, your little brother is a walking dictionary." I state and Adam chuckles, along with Mak and Tyler. I can't contain my laughter and giggle. "How the hell do you know that Tyler? And off the top of your head… wow…"

"I had to memorize it for English class last year."

"Why? Adam and I never had to do that. Did you Mak?"

"Yeah, I was in the same class as him!" Mak answers, still giggling a bit.

"The purpose of it was…" Tyler trails off, "I can't remember, honestly. It was a year ago and, frankly, I have terrible memory."

"But—you just… never mind." Realizing I'm still in his arms, I glance up at Adam, a playful smirk on my face.

"Hi…" I murmur, unable to think of anything else to say. "Uh, I think you can put me down now…" A light blush appears on his cheeks as he releases me from his grip, laughing awkwardly. I roll my eyes, trying to hide my own blush; I try to play the "cool kid" role whenever I blush. I walk beside Adam down the hall, glancing over my shoulder pretty much every five seconds to assure myself that Mak and Tyler are okay.

"Jayce," My sister states, finally fed up with my concern five minutes later, "we're fine. Nothing is gonna –." I spin around and see Mak and Tyler frozen in place. Not in fear though, but as if time itself has stopped. I look over to Adam, seeing him frozen in a look of concern at me. It's a bit creepy, but I snap myself back to reality, ignoring my irrational fear of being the center of attention.

"Guys…!" I call out, hoping the other teams will answer.

"Jayce, what is it?" Husky calls back.

"E-Everything around me just froze in place."

"What?!" Jerome asks, obviously worried. "Oh, god…"

"Jerome, what…?"

"The same thing just happened to me."

"Me too!" Jason yells. It suddenly all clicks into place.

"It's a test! A trick!" Nothing but utter silence. "Guys…?" A bright red glow to my right hypnotizes me and I turn to face it. One of the mirrors… glowing bright red… I try to call out for help, but it's of no use. I remain silent, even though I want to scream. I begin to step toward the mirror. _"__No!"_ My mind screams, _"__Don't do it!"_ I reach my hand out to the mirror and it passes through the reflective surface. Something from the other side of it grips my wrist and pulls me into the mirror, but not before I hear shouts and screams of my name from Adam, Mak, and Tyler.

"Look at you," My eyes snap open to find myself already standing on my own two feet, "weak… helpless…" Someone comes into view, thanks to my peripheral vision, from my right and begins to circle me. I stand frozen as the person stops in front of me with a sympathetic look in his eyes; it's Adam. Part of me wants to run into his arms, sobbing into his chest, and the other part wants to run away from him as far as I can.

"Well, isn't that just the best self-esteem booster?" I retort, trying to hold back my anger.

"You know it's not your place to act like this."

"Act like what?"

"The strong type; it's not your place. TC and I are only friends with you because we feel sorry for you."

"You're lying."

"I'm not. It's true." He stares at me, hoping for me to break down into tears.

"No… you're lying." I repeat, staring him dead in the eyes. He gives me a sympathetic smile that's almost believable. _Almost… _I step back and he takes two steps toward me.

"You're weak," Adam states, a smug grin on his face and the rest of TC appears around me. But the only TC member not present... is Mitch. Unsure of what to do, I stay in place, watching the others. "We all think so." Tyler side-steps out from behind his brother with Mak next to him and I stare, stunned and hurt.

"You too, Mak…?" I squeak, hurt that my own sister doesn't believe in me. She nods… and that destroys any part of hope I have left. I drop to my knees in defeat as TC, Tyler, and Mak all hurl insults at me. Tears begin to flow down my cheeks and a hand places itself on my back. I flinch at its touch, but peer up to find Adam kneeling at my side, concern in his eyes. I don't say or do anything, unsure if this is the real Adam or not. He suddenly smirks and pushes me to the ground, standing back up as everything fades into darkness, even him. **_"_****_You deserve this… You deserve isolation…"_** A voice mutters in my head, which sounds an awful lot like my own. I lay on the ground, back to the sky, bawling like a child… a defenseless child… which is what I am. They're right; I am weak. I am helpless. I don't pose any kind of threat at all.

_"__Jayce, don't say that about yourself."_

I don't dare move, listening to the argument in my head.

**_"_****_Why shouldn't she? It's true."_**

_"__It's not, Jayce, listen to me."_

_**"**__**No, don't listen to her! She'll bring you nothing but misery!"**_

_"__Says the one who destroys her self-esteem."_

_**"**__**Oh, shut up. You don't know—."**_

_"—__what she's capable of? Of course I do!"_

"Would you two just leave me alone?" I ask aloud in a choked voice.

_"__See! Look what you've done, Ender!"_

**_"_****_You're no better, Dragon!"_**

_"__Excuse her, she's a b*tch."_

_**"**__**Says the b*tch…"**_

_"__Excuse me! What the hell did you just call me?!"_

_**"**__**A b*tch. You called me one."**_

_"__Because it's true!"_

"I said leave me alone…"

_"__Sorry, Jayce. I'll leave. Not too sure about this a**hole over here…"_

_**"**__**Oh, I'll leave, alright! I'll leave so I can go beat the sh*t out of you!"**_

_"__Ender, just… shut up…"_ (A/N: Dude, I just made a reference… to myself!) I'm left with silence after that. I hide my face in the crook of my arm and remain sprawled on the floor, continuing to cry. I just want my parents back…


	6. 6 Finding Trust

"Jayce…?" My head snaps up to see Adam kneeling in front of me and I stand up, walking backwards and leaving him there with Mak and Tyler looking… confused. Before I can realize what I'm doing, I fall through the mirror once again.

"Back for round two?" I bump into someone and tense. He wraps his arms around me and leans down to whisper in my ear. "You… are… worthless."

"Nothing…" I slip out of Adam's grasp and spin around to see Ty standing next to him.

"Weak…" Jason joins them…

"Loser…" Jerome…

"Stupid…" Ian…

"Annoying…" Husky… I glance behind them and don't see Tyler, Mitch, or Mak, which kind of relieves me… _kind of_.

"You're such a gullible child if you thought you could be our friend." Scratch that… Tyler emerges from behind his brother, leaving me heartbroken. I hang my head and cross my arms, silently crying to myself.

"That should be enough for now…" Jason states, walking past me with the rest of TC following. Husky passes me last and pushes me to the floor so that I'm lying on my stomach. I once again hide my face in the crook of my arm, this time not hearing the small argument in my head. I continue to sob into my arm until I've run out of tears, so I lie on the floor, motionless. The dark abyss below me suddenly brightens and is replaced by stone bricks. I don't move. I don't want to move. Fireworks erupt to my left, a bit muffled, and a door opens in the same area. Footsteps tap their way across the threshold and the door is slammed closed. A light yelp causes me to flinch.

"Jay—Jayce…?" Someone calls to me, but I don't move. "Oh, my god…" The person sprints over to me, sliding onto their knees by my side. (A/N: Fabulous, much?) A set of hands falls onto my back and I sit up, finding Mitch kneeling next to me… and covered in blood with ripped clothes. My face feels dry from withered tears as Mitch examines me for any cuts or bruises.

"Jayce, what happened? Was it the challenge?" I nod, too hurt to say anything, and sit on his lap, leaning against his chest. "What was the challenge you got, anyway?"

"Emotional destruction…" I mutter.

"What?"

"I just need a hug right now." Mitch nods and, hesitantly, he wraps his arms around my waist. With a choked voice, I begin to explain what happened in my challenge. "After I went through the mirror, I found myself in a room. And… Adam was there and he was calling me weak and-and helpless. Then he said the only reason he and the rest of TC are my friends is because you feel sorry for me." I pause. "I-Is that true… Mitch?"

"No! We love you for you! Why would Adam say something like that?"

"Because it wasn't really him. And I knew it. My heart just chose not to believe it wasn't him. But after he said that, everyone in TC except you showed up and agreed with him. Even Mak and Tyler."

"Your own sister?"

"Yeah and when she said she thought I was weak, I broke. Then everything around me faded away into darkness and Adam appeared like he was trying to comfort me, but he just pushed me to the ground. A voice in my head said that I deserved to be alone after Adam left, fading into the darkness. I started to believe I really was weak, but a different voice in my head said otherwise. Then the first and second voice had this whole argument. I can't remember what it was about, but it honestly served no purpose to my situation. Apparently, I fell through the mirror once again after I found myself in the hall with the real Adam, Mak, and Tyler."

"Why'd you fall through the mirror again?"

"At the moment, I didn't know it was the real them. Once I fell through the mirror again, I had come back for round two, which was almost the same as the first time, except Mak wasn't there that time."

"I see… wait, why wasn't I there either time?"

"I don't know, but I'm glad you weren't."

"How so?"

"I feel like you're the only one I can trust right now."

"You know that wasn't really them, right?"

"Yeah, I do. But it still hurts…"

"Aw, come here." Mitch pulls me into a tighter hug, which I return. A door opens to our right… well, my right, Mitch's left. Mitch turns his attention towards it while I lay completely still in his lap.

"Hey, Mitch," A voice, which I recognize as Ian's, greets, "…what happened to…?"

"The challenge," Mitch replies, "It broke her."

"What kind of challenge was it?"

"Emotional destruction; it's brutal if you ask me."

"Ooh, what was the subject?"

Mitch hesitates before answering, "Us…" in a hushed voice. "It was our friendship…" Ian gasps and sits against the wall next to me and Mitch.

"Jayce…"

"Hi…" I whisper, my voice cracking, and cuddle closer to Mitch.

"T-That wasn't us, Jayce, please don't—."

"—be mad? I'm not mad. Heartbroken? Yes. Depressed? Yes. But angry? No." I interrupt, not looking away from my lap. We stay like this in awkward silence for at least ten minutes and I almost fall asleep on Mitch's lap. _"Gah, I feel like I need to just disappear…"_ I finally slip out of Mitch's grasp and wind thrashes my hair around, causing me to look around to try to find where the wind is coming from. But it's to no avail and I lean against the wall. A door suddenly flies open and all three of us stare at it.

"Mitch," Husky calls, "Ian, thank Notch you two are okay…" Adam, Mak, and Tyler slip through the doorway last, all looking guilty and terrified. I don't dare speak as Adam's eyes trail up to meet mine, and then flicker around the room as if he didn't see me.

"W-Where's Jayce…?" Adam asks, obviously forlorn.

"Adam, seriously, I'm right –."

"She was just here. I-I don't know where she went…" Mitch interrupts. I shoot him a confused glance and push myself off the wall.

"Mitch, what are you talking about? I'm right here."

"So… you lost her?" Adam asks, anger boiling inside him. I can tell; I know the look…

"Hey, don't blame me! You guys were the ones teasing her and letting her self-esteem crumble!" Mitch yells and slaps his hand onto his mouth.

"We were not!"

"Guys…" I cut in sheepishly, but I'm ignored.

"Yes you were! And you were the main cause of it, _Adam_!"

"Guys…!"

"Me…?! I would never tease Jayce because I l-…"

"You what, Adam?!"

"Guys, please!"

"Because…" Adam's voice goes quiet, "… you guys already know." He gestures to everyone except Mak and Tyler, a light crimson on his cheeks. Frustrated, I step in front of Adam and wave my hands in front of his face.

"Adam… hello?" He's unfazed… sh*t. Why can't he see me?

"Because you're not really here…" I spin around, finding Herobrine's face inches from mine. I shriek and stumble back, _passing right through_ Adam. I push myself onto my elbows, glowering at Herobrine.

"What the hell did you do?!" I yell, blocking out the argument behind me.

"It's not what I did. It's what _you_ did. You told Mitch he was the only one you could trust. By extent, you can't trust the others anymore."

"But the only reason I said that is because you… you didn't put Mitch in the challenge. You made the challenge. You meant for this to happen! That's why Mitch wasn't in the challenge! You're trying to break them apart!" I shout, gesturing back to TC.

"Ah, smart girl," He chuckles, "but it won't last…"

"You little…" I start, taking a few steps toward him, but he just… disappears, leaving me totally confused, "…sh*t." I strike the wall in annoyance and my bangs fall in front of my face, partially blocking my vision. I push them out of the way and rest my head against the wall, listening to the never-ending argument behind me. I hit my head against the wall a few times, the moment of pain reminding me of after sixth period on Friday… Friday, that's when this whole thing started. It's when I received the letter; when I had a moment with Mitch; when we recorded the first episode to our Survival Games series… The series; I almost forgot. With all this bullsh*t, I don't think we'll record a part two very soon. And now I'm apparently a ghost or something…

"Great… just f**king great…" I mutter, hitting my head against the wall with every word. _"Okay, 'disappearing' is not so fun…"_ My hair thrashes in the wind once again, the sudden draft coming from nowhere, this time causing me to fall to the floor, motionless. My eyes shut. _"No," _A voice inside my head screams, _"No, you can't! Stay awake!"_ I groan softly, trying to force my eyes open but failing.

"Jayce…"

"See? I told you I didn't lose her!"

"Mitch, just… shut up." Someone rolls me onto my back and puts a hand against my cheek. "Jayce… please don't be—."

"I'm not dead, moron." I mutter with a bit of a laugh and finally pry my eyes open, finding Adam inches from my face, smiling down at me with tears in his eyes. I smile back and wrap my arms around his neck.

"Drag me, fool!" I command playfully and Adam chuckles, sitting back on his knees and dragging me with him to sit on his lap. His smile fades a bit.

"I would never hurt you, you know that right?" He asks softly and I nod, resting my head against his chest.

"Yes, but I want you to apologize to Mitch for yelling at him." I reply, a mild sternness to my voice.

"Oh, fine," Adam turns to Mitch, who kneels next to him, "I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"Hmm…" Mitch taps his chin, trying to hold back a smile, "apology… not accepted." By now, his smirk is showing.

"Aww," Adam whines with fake-hurt in his voice, he too trying to hold back a smile, "why?"

"I demand a hug!" Mitch un-crosses his arms and holds them out, waiting for a hug.

Adam looks down at me. "You got me into this…" I shrug as he engulfs Mitch in a hug with me in between the two.

"Guys, I feel like a sandwich." I complain. "Are you satisfied, Mitch?"

"Yeah, I am." He lets go and Adam sits back on his knees again with me still on his lap.

"I see you've all survived!" Herobrine's voice thunders above us and I cling to Adam, remembering what the corrupted god did to me. "I'll leave you in peace… for now…" I feel myself go limp against Adam's chest and he screams my name before blacking out himself.

"Uh… Jayce…?" My eyes flutter open and I find myself on top of Adam, who's smiling sheepishly and blushing. I laugh nervously and try to push myself to my feet only to be met with wood hitting the back of my head. I squeak and face-plant next to Adam, rubbing the back of my head as I push myself onto my elbows. I look above us, seeing the bottom of the table.

"How the hell are we under the table?!" I yell, laughter lacing my words. Adam chuckles and sits up next to me, hitting his head on the bottom of the table.

"For f**k's… Gah…" He groans, lying back down on the cobblestone floor. Laughing, I crawl over to him and place a hand on his chest while kneeling next to him.

"Are you okay, Adam?" I ask, my own laughter interrupting me.

"Yeah," He replies, having the same interruptions himself, "I'm alright. How's your head?"

"It hurts."

"No kidding." I giggle and feel my cheeks warm up. _"F**k, no! Stop blushing, Jayce!"_ I mentally yell to myself.

"Anyway," I start crawling out from under the table, "let's get to bed. It's…" I peer over at the digital clock on the oven, "… holy sh*t, it's one in the morning."

"What… how did…?" Adam stammers, pulling himself out from under the table. I roll my eyes and hold out my hand to help him up, which he grabs and pulls me back down to the floor with him. I trip over my own feet and fall onto Adam, finding him on top of me as I open my eyes. Realizing we're inches from each other's faces, we laugh awkwardly, trying to hide our blushes.

"Did you have to do that Adam?" I ask as he gets off of me and sits to my right, tapping his chin.

"Yes." He finally replies. "Now let's get to bed." He grabs my hand and drags me upstairs. I freeze in my tracks. _"Mak…" _My hand slips out of Adam's grip and I shoot upstairs, stopping at my sister's bedroom door. I stare at it, panting for a few seconds, before knocking lightly.

"Mak…?" My voice cracks as I my breath becomes heavy. Nothing… Worried, I turn the door knob and push it open slowly, leaning my head into the room.

"Mak…?" I whisper, ignoring my stomach as it sinks. Silence is my only response. I step across the threshold and shut the door behind me. The only source of light in the room is the moonlight shining through the tiny window, which adds to the eeriness. I scramble over to the beds, looking behind them but finding nothing but a small, blood-red envelope sealed with a sticker of a golden shovel. I can almost hear Adam's voice piercing my thoughts, screaming, "It's not gold! It's budder!" Not even the thought of Adam correcting me cheers me up. Feeling like I'll collapse any second, I force myself to sit on my sister's bed, staring at the envelope in horror… or wonder… or fear. I don't know anymore. My emotions are mixed from what happened in and after the challenge. I don't know how to feel anymore… I rip off the sticker with a shaky hand and flip the letter open, pulling out the message inside slowly. I unfold the small piece of paper that, when folded, fits perfectly in my palm and my eyes scan the words encrypted on the bottom below the actual message. What the hell…? I begin to read the letter aloud.

"'If you are reading this Jayce, it means you've completed the first trial. This letter is only a heads-up on your next challenge. If you can decipher this riddle, then you'll be ready for the next trial. The answer to this riddle is what you'll need most. _(I am born in fear, raised in truth, and I come to my own in deed. When comes a time that I'm called forth, I come to serve the cause of need. What am I?) _Good luck… you'll need it. From, Herobrine'… What the hell is this?" I stand up, reading over the riddle again and again as I pace back and forth in the room.

"Jayce!" My sister shouts and runs over to hug me.

"Hi sweetheart," I coo, bending down to hug her but at the same time not taking my eyes off the letter. Catching my line of sight, Mak reads over the letter with me.

"What… Jayce, where did—." Mak starts, but I cut her off by shushing her as the riddle echoes in my head.

"Born in fear…" I mutter, my voice barely audible, even to Mak, "…raised in truth… come to my own in deed… I'm called forth, I come to serve the cause of need…" I sit back against the bed with Mak still in my arms as well as the letter in hand. I stare blankly at the wall, thinking… processing the words. _"What could it mean?"_

_Skylar: Comment down below what you think the answer to the riddle is! No looking it up on Google. That's cheating._


	7. 7 Seeking Answers

"Jayce, what do you think…?" I slap a hand onto Mak's mouth upon hearing muffled voices.

"Whatever you do," One screams, a female, "just don't hurt Jayce or Mak!"

"Oh, I won't hurt them." Herobrine's voice calls back. "I'll kill them…"

"No!" A different voice, this time male, shouts, "You will not touch them!"

"Why would you think so?" Herobrine asks and I can just imagine the smirk on his face.

"Because we'll kill you if you even think of hurting them!" The woman proclaims and it clicks.

"Mom and dad…" I breathe, inaudible even to myself. The cries of battle and clashing of swords echo in the back of my head along with the argument between my parents and Herobrine. Bits and pieces of the fight flash in front of me. The cries of pain from my parents seem to fill the room as I see their corpses lying on the grass, covered in their own blood. My breath becomes shaky as I let go of Mak.

"Jayce… what happened?"

"I-I…" I sigh and stand up, gripping my elbows, "just get some sleep." I lean down and kiss her forehead, giving her a hug before departing to my own room. As I close the door, Tyler comes running down the hall towards me and tackles me in a hug.

"Whoa, what's gotten into you, Tyler? Have too much sugar?" I ask, laughter lacing my words. He shakes his head, smiling wildly.

"I'm just glad you're okay." He responds.

"Why would you be so worried about me?" He lets go before whispering something and darts into Mak's room.

"My brother's in love with you."

I stand frozen in the hallway, stunned by what I just heard. I give a small squeal of excitement before falling onto the floor, landing on my back and creating a loud thud as my head made contact with the stone floor. A door at the end of the hall closest to the stair well flies open and Ty and Jason lean out into the hallway. They spot me and shoot down the hall towards me, hovering over me and breaking into laughter when they see the goofy smirk plastered on my face.

"Jayce, what did you do?" Jason asks, still giggling a bit.

"Sh…" I hush him, "I'm having a fan girl moment." I give another squeal of joy before Ty helps me to my feet and I snap out of my daze. "Alright, get to bed. I'll see you in the morning." I wave them off to their room and trudge into my own, face-planting on my bed when I reach it. I roll onto my back, not even bothering to change my clothes, and stare at the ceiling, the riddle suddenly popping into my mind. I say it out loud a few times to let it sink in.

"'I am born in fear, raised in truth, and I come to my own in deed. When comes a time that I'm called forth, I come to serve the cause of need. What am I?' He said it's what we'll need to complete the challenge… but what is it?" I mutter to myself. I groan softly in annoyance, holding my head in my hands as I sit up. A flash makes my head snap up in curiosity and I see nothing abnormal, so I return to holding my head in my hands. It flashes again, this time making me stand up. A purple light shines through my window and I run over to it, grasping the window ledge, but the light disappears. I stare into the forest that my window faces and I see it again, a purple light.

"Jayce…" It calls, its voice hushed; whoa freaky… "Jayce… come… I can help you… with the riddle…" My eyes widen and I gasp. I turn back to look at my bedroom door. "I'll only be gone for a little while. They'll be fine." I grab my hiking boots and slip them on as well as my hoodie, snatching the red envelope off of my desk and writing a note saying where I've gone. I pull the hood over my head and wrap my sheath through my jeans' belt loops. Finally, I grab my satchel and sling it around my neck, letting the bag itself rest on my hip and slipping the envelope into it. Smiling, I push the door open, trying to be as quiet as possible, and creep down the dark hall soundlessly. I slide down the railing and slowly make my way through the kitchen, where I can barely see anything. A small orb of purple light appears in front of me, the same size as my eye, and flies silently towards the front door, hovering in front of it waiting for me. I follow it, still trying not to make any noise, and grab the door knob. A door opens upstairs and I freeze, the purple light disappearing and leaving me in the dark as to not get caught. I stay still, hoping the door would close, but my eyes dart to the counter then back to the stair well. Slowly, I crouch down and crawl on my hands and knees behind the counter, hearing footsteps make their way down the stairs. I cover my mouth, silencing my heavy breathing and trying to calm myself down. The footsteps trail back upstairs and I silently sigh in relief as I hear a door close. I push myself to my feet and over to the door, cracking it open and slipping outside. Once I know I'm in the clear, I leap off the porch running to the back of the house and finding my window. I stare at my window then look to the forest and see the purple light shining through the trees. Smiling slightly, I run towards it, but stop at the line of trees that separates the forest from my neighborhood. I look over my shoulder at the house, my eyes scanning the windows to see if anyone is watching me. Luckily, I see no gazing eyes and turn back to the forest, stepping through the line of trees into the forest.

"Jayce…" I whip around, trying to find the voice; it's the same from before, "…over here…" I peer over to my right, smiling upon spotting the faint glow of purple and I sprint towards it. I skid to a stop, finding the source of the purple light in the center of eight small platforms.

"Wait," I say aloud, "this is the… this is our Hunger Games arena. But, why would…?" I trail off, listening to the soft intro of one of my power songs. (Carry On - Fun)My foot starts to tap the beat and white sparks surround me, flying around my being.

_"Well I woke up to the sound of silence…" The voice of the original artist echoes around me along with the instruments as the song continues, "… and cries were cutting like knives in a fist fight and I found you with a bottle of wine. Your head in the curtains and heart like the Fourth of July. You swore and said, 'We are not, we are not shining stars.' This I know, I never said we are. Though I've never been through hell like that, I've closed enough windows to know you can never look back. If you're lost and alone or you're sinking like a stone, carry on. May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground. Carry on. Carry on, carry on._

_"So I met up with some friends at the edge of the night at a bar off 75 and we talked and talked about how our parents will die all our neighbors and wives. But I like to think I can cheat it all to make up for the times I've been cheated on. And it's nice to know when I was left for dead. I was found and now I don't roam these streets, I am not the ghost you are to me. If you're lost and alone or you're sinking like a stone, carry on. May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground. Carry on. _

_"Whoa! My head is on fire but my legs are fine after all they are mine. Lay your clothes down on the floor, close the door, hold the phone, show me how no one's ever gonna stop us now. Cause here we are! We are shining stars! We are invincible! We are who we are! On our darkest day, when we're miles away, sun will come. We will find our way home. If you're lost and alone or you're sinking like a stone, carry on. May your past be the sound of your feet upon the ground. Carry on. Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh._

_"No one's ever gonna stop us now! No one's ever, no one's ever gonna stop, no one's ever gonna stop us now! No one's ever, no one's ever gonna stop, no one's ever gonna stop, no one's ever gonna stop us now!"_

"But, what does that have to do with the riddle?" I mutter, but I'm ignored as a second song, this time starting with a drum beat intro, replaces the first. (I Won't Let You Go - Snow Patrol)

_"No one can ever follow, no one can ever know. Wind up the spinning top and watch it go, watch it go. Never gonna be easy, was it? You didn't think it'd be so much fun. The smile comes despite the danger, get some, get some. There's something happening here. There's something here that I just can't explain. I know I'm where I belong. Deep down inside I am no longer lost! I won't let you go, (This is what you really want) so don't let go of me. (This is what you asked for) I wanted something more, (This is what you really want) I wanted this right here. (This is what you asked for)_

_"No one can ever follow, no one can ever know. Wind up the spinning top and watch it go, watch it go. Never gonna be easy, was it? You didn't think it'd be so much fun. The smile comes despite the danger, get some, get some. There's something happening here. There's something here that I just can't explain. I know I'm where I belong. Deep down inside I am no longer lost! I won't let you go, (This is what you really want) so don't let go of me. (This is what you asked for) I wanted something more, (This is what you really want) I wanted this right here. (This is what you asked for)_

_"We laughed until it hurt and it hurt 'till we wept. Dead upon our feet, but there's joy somehow in me! You're not as strong as I am. You're not as strong as I am! Oooh oh, oh, this is what you really want. Oooh oh, oh, this is what you asked for. Oooh oh, oh, this is what you really want. Oooh oh, oh, this is what you asked for. I won't let you go, (This is what you really want) so don't let go of me. (This is what you asked for) I wanted something more, (This is what you really want) I wanted this right here. (This is what you asked for)_

_"This is that 1, 2, 3, 4 now. Come back to carry us now 1, 2, 3, 4 now, now. This is that 1, 2, 3, 4 now. Come back to carry us now 1, 2, 3, 4 now, now. This is what you asked for." _

"What does this have to do with the riddle?" I repeat, hoping to get an answer other than another song.

"The songs…" The wispy voice replies, becoming more human by the second, "… have everything to do with the riddle. Now child," The source of the voice finally stands in one place and I spin around to face the platforms that stand behind me. On one of them stands a woman around the age of thirty-five with short, shoulder length light brown hair that frames her vibrant misty grey/blue eyes, much like mine, "what are the songs trying to tell you? You've always been an expert with music, sweetheart, so you would know." She leaps off the platform and approaches me, startling me so that I step back a bit. Now that I can really look at her, I notice she's wearing an outfit similar to mine; deep navy jeans, somewhat ripped, with the ankles covered by black hunting boots and a grey tank top covered by a deep blue hoodie. Her short hair is tied into a short pony-tail behind her head and her darker brown bangs are pushed to one side, covering up one of her eyebrows. The purple aura that surrounds her dims a bit as she comes closer to me.

"Who— who are you?" I mutter, just loud enough for her to hear. She's oddly familiar, though…

"Honestly, Jayce," She chuckles, "I thought you would recognize your own mother!" I stare at her, stunned.

"M-Mom…?" I whisper, excitement rushing through me as she nods, and I throw my arms around her neck since I'm almost the same height as her. "But… how?"

"I thought you studied spiritual beings in your science class."

"I have…" I say sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck as I let go of Mom, blushing, "I just didn't think I'd actually see one in real life."

"Well, now you have. But, seriously Jayce, what are the songs trying to tell you?" My smile fades and I bite my lip. "Nice thinking face." What can I say? My mom and I are exactly the same. Well, almost…

"Like you have a better one," I retort, putting my thumb-nail between my teeth and holding that elbow with my free hand, which is her thinking face, making her laugh, "Now, the songs… 'Carry on'… 'Never gonna be easy, was it?'…" I press the heel of my hand against my forehead and sit down on one of the platforms. "What does it mean?" My mom sits next to me, smiling sympathetically.

"Maybe this will help…" I turn to her, confused, and she kisses my forehead.

_I blink, finding myself in the house and push myself to my feet._

_"Jayce," My mother's voice cracks behind me and I spin around, finding a twelve-year-old me and my parents kneeling in front of the door, "I-I want you to be brave, sweetheart."_

_"I will, mom."_

_"And take care of Mak while we're gone, okay?"_

_"Yeah, but if things get out of hand, can the guys help?"_

_"The 'guys'…?"_

_"Team Crafted. They're my best friends, and Adam's got a little brother, so he knows what it's like."_

_My mother chuckles, "Okay, yes they can help. Just… don't forget us, okay?"_

_"Why? You're coming back… right?" The smile fades somewhat from my twelve-year-old face as my, uh, her eyebrows rise in concern._

_"Well, Jayce… we don't know. But… just be strong for us, okay?"_

_"Okay," Young-me sniffles, throwing her arms around her mom's neck, "I love you."_

_"We love you, too, Jayce." My mother pulls young-me into a hug and my father joins us. Once my mother pulls away, she kisses young-me's forehead. _

I blink again, finding myself back in the arena, but alone. The purple glow is gone and my mother's spirit is nowhere to be seen. I stand up, looking around to see if she still lingers in the arena, but I'm alone in the dark forest. In her place is an amulet with a silver core surrounded by gold. I smile and pick it up, slipping the thick nylon string around my neck. I hold the gem in my hand and shut my eyes, tears spilling down my cheeks.

"Thanks mom," I whisper, my voice cracking slightly, "I love you."


	8. 8 Lost in Battle

I sigh and lift my head, staring into the dark forest. I bring my wrist up and glance at my watch. 3:25 AM. Still dark and I can barely see a thing; lovely. I sit back down on one of the platforms and run my hands through my hair, not making much progress thanks to it being in a side-braid. Realizing that I'm sweating, I throw off my purple hoodie and tie it around my waist, revealing my light blue tank top underneath. I peer down at my hiking boots, seeing one untied, so I bend down and re-tie it, and then stay in my crouched position as I glance around the arena. My mind suddenly flashes back to TC. What will they think of this? Running out of the house in the middle of the night, I mean. I glance back at my watch again, letting the time sink in.

"Holy sh*t, I've been out here for two hours?" I ask myself, mentally face-palming when I realize I'm still alone. I sigh, rolling my eyes at myself, and start to trek back through the forest towards the house, tripping on a rock of a tree root every so often. After a few minutes, the house comes into view.

And that's when I heard footsteps behind me.

I try to brush it off, but they keep getting closer and closer… and close enough that I feel heavy breathing on the back of my neck. I tense, my shoulders jerking up to the sides of my head just below my ears, and my breath hitches. A soft gurgling comes from behind me and I gasp, knowing exactly what's standing behind me, breathing down my neck. I haven't looked at it dead in the eyes, so why would it be so close to me? It's still not hostile, so I begin to walk again, trying to brush it off. It's still on my tail, even if it's not touching me, I can still _feel_ that it's there. I keep walking and keep my head down, hoping it would leave, but an arrow whizzes past my arm from behind, slicing the exposed flesh of my right arm. I flinch and trip over a tree root, falling flat on my face. I make the mistake of rolling over to look behind me and I see the hypnotic menacing eyes of an ender man. But not just any ender man, no…

"It had to be a mutant." I cry out, pushing myself to my feet and running towards the house, the mutant ender man trailing behind me. I curse under my breath as another arrow whizzes past my arm, cutting it once more. I stumble out of the trees, the mutant ender man still hot on my heels and it screams, making me fall to my knees and cover my ears, screaming along with it and waking the others.

"Jayce," Jerome calls as he runs out of the house towards me, sword in hand, "what the hell were you doing?! And where'd that thing come from?!" Jason and Ty sprint over and help me to my feet, then progress to attack the ender man… with swords. I run over to join them, stabbing at the ender man's legs and arms, and it throws me back as well as Ty. I roll on the grass before stopping in front of Mak and Tyler. I shoot to my feet and swing my sword at the ender man's arm as it tries to hit me again.

"Jason, get Mak and Tyler inside!" I bark out, blocking another attack from the ender man. I see him nod and rush over to us, literally almost dragging Mak and Tyler back to the house.

"Wait," Mak slips out of Jason's grip and runs back over to me, "I want to help!"

"Mak," I reply, trying to stay focused on dodging attacks from the hostile mob in front of us, "we could die from this. I don't want to lose you."

"And I don't want to lose you! Let me fight with you guys!"

"You've had-DUCK!" I push her down to the ground as I spot the ender man swiping an arm at us. "You've had too little training, Mak!"

"Mak, she's right!" Tyler calls from the porch while Jason's running back out to us. "Just get inside!"

"But Jayce..."

"I said go!" I yell and Jason picks her up. "Make sure they're safe, Jason, or I swear to god I will f**king kill you!" He nods and runs inside with Mak and Tyler hot on his heels. It's in our hands now.

"Guys," Ty calls to the rest of us, "any idea on how to defeat this thing?!"

"Look for its weak spots!" I bark. "It's got to have one!" An explosion next to me makes me jump to the side. _"It can fire explosions…" _I look over to the house, finding it no more than ten feet away. _"If it hits the house…"_ The ender man seems to read the concerned look in my eyes and turns to the house. I sprint over to the ender man and leap onto its back, plunging my sword into its neck. It shrieks, almost making me fall off, but I keep a firm grip on the hilt of my sword.

"Guys," I shout, "a little help would be nice! Get its health down!" The rest of TC immediately starts attacking the ender man while it's distracted by me, swinging its four arms at me to try and get me off. A small bar pops up in front of me, showing the ender man's health.

"It's got about of fourth of its health left!" I proclaim, watching the purple in the bar drop slowly. "Two-eighths… one-eighth… one-sixteenth, come on guys, it's almost dead!" One-thirty-second of its health left. I can't really help since I'm trying to keep myself from flying off into the trees if the ender man finally rips me off of its back. _"One-sixty-fourth… almost dead…"_

"If we can get a few more hits on it…" I start, but the ender man throws me off and I hit the wall of the house, scraping my arms and my shoulder. I land on the soft grass below me and push myself onto my elbows, glancing back at the battle and pulling myself to my feet.

"Jayce, watch it!" Adam yells over to me as the ender man fires a small block of TNT at me. I jump out of the way, the block hitting the side of the house and leaving a hole in the wall. It's not too big, but it's not a nook or cranny either.

"Thanks for the warning, Adam!" I shout back, running back into battle. Another block of TNT, this time twice the first, hits the side of the house, creating a larger hole than the last. _"If it keeps this up, the house will be destroyed by dawn. Wait…"_

"Jason," I bark back to him, "grab everyone's bags and get them to the basement! Mak, go pack a bag of your stuff! Tyler, stay with her!" I risk a look back over my shoulder to see Jason running upstairs followed by Mak and Tyler. Once they've gone from my sight, I turn back to the ender man, my sword still lodged in the back of its neck.

"Ty, give me a boost!" I catch his attention and he drops his sword, lacing his fingers together to create a basket of sorts. As I near him, I jump, placing my left foot in his hands and he launches me up into the air. I grab the hilt of my sword as I land on the ender man's back, but the sword starts to cut down its back, causing it to shriek in pain. I pull my sword out of its back as it reaches the ender man's tail bone and it falls over, dead. I fall to my knees, panting, and shoot my arms up into the air, clenching my hands into fists.

"Badass takedown…" I gasp as the others come over to me, all chuckling lightly and panting. "Come on, let's get to the house." I help myself to my feet and walk at the back of the group, right behind Husky and Ian, who are happily chatting away. A soft groan behind me catches my attention and I glance over my shoulder, seeing the rotting corpse of the mutant ender man and its cold dead eyes staring right at me.

And then it blinks.

It lifts its arm, something appearing in it, and I stare at it, scanning the texture of the object… and then it clicks.

"Guys, move!" I command, pushing Husky and Ian out of the way of the TNT block as it flies towards where they were… and where I am. Before I can leap to safety, the TNT block hits my side, shoving me into the pile of rubble that used to be a wall and it explodes… right on top of me. Everything goes black as my home crumbles around me.

"Guys, I found her!"

_"__I-I want you to be brave, sweetheart."_

"Well, pull her out!"

_"__You're coming back… right?"_

"Set her over here."

_"__But… just be strong for us, okay?"_

"Jayce, get up this isn't funny…"

_"…__be brave…"_

"Jayce, please…!"

_"__We could die from this. I don't want to lose you!"_

"Where is she?"

"Over here!"

_"__Let me fight with you guys!"_

"Oh my… Jayce, no…"

_"…__be brave…"_

"Husky, check for a pulse."

_"… __be brave… be strong…"_

"Ty, she's barely breathing..."

_"__What you'll need most is…"_

"… but she still has a pulse."

_"…__courage…"_ I groan softly, almost inaudibly, and my eyes force themselves open, finding Ty, Husky, and Ian hovering over me. Rain drips on my face and soaks my hair and clothes, as well as the others', as I sit up.

"God," I groan, putting the heel of my hand to my forehead, "what happened?" Then it all suddenly flashes across my mind and I gasp. "Where's Mak?" I look around me, seeing nothing but rubble… nothing but what's left of my house. _"…get them to the basement…"_ My own words echo in my head and I jump up, falling to my knees again when a shooting pain strikes my chest. I look down at myself to see my chest is nothing but a bloody mess and most of the skin ripped off, making it look as if I got sunburnt. And it feels that way, too. I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. Ty slings one of my arms over his shoulders to help me to my feet, and I nod in thanks, trying to hold back tears from the pain.

"Mak!" I call out, my voice hoarse, "Mak, answer me!" Nothing but the light tapping of the rain can be heard. Ty carries me out of the rubble and sets me down on my back, the lush green grass acting as a pillow to me. He kneels next to me.

"You need to rest. You got the full blow of the explosion… and it saved our lives. Thank you Jayce."

"But… M-Mak… a-and Tyler and J-Jason… and the o-others…" I stutter, seeing no one except Ty, Husky, Ian and me here.

"We'll find them. Don't worry." Ty looks away from me and over to Ian. "Stay with her." Ian rushes over to my side, forcing me to lie back down every time I try to sit up. It's not hard for him to do so since the ripped flesh on my chest barely lets me move at all. After a few minutes, Ian lets me sit up with his help and I lean against him, my eyes scanning the rubble for anyone other than Ty and Husky. I try to push myself to my feet.

"Jayce," Ian questions from behind me, "what are you doing?"

"I want to help." I state. "I can bare the pain." By this point, I've made it to my feet and begin to walk back into the rubble without Ian's help. I eventually make my way over to Ty and Husky after tripping a few times and Ian catching me and tell them that I'm helping them look.

"Jayce, no," Ty protests, "you're in too much pain to—."

"I don't care if I'm in pain." I cut him off. "I want to find the others and it doesn't help if I'm just watching helplessly from the sidelines." I say all this with a determined twinkle in my eyes. And Ty, seeing the look in my eyes, obliges. I shuffle off to the back of the house where my bedroom used to be. I spot something glinting under a large piece of wall and bend down, shifting the rock and pulling out something that makes me gasp:

_Adam's amulet._

I fall to my knees, the amulet resting in my hand. I slip the amulet into my pocket upon spotting hair under the pile of rocks and push the rocks out of the way, cringing in pain every second.

"Ty," I call weakly, "get over here!" I pull another rock out of the pile to find the top of a head. Excitement fills me as I call for Ty again and move more rocks off of…

"Adam…" I whisper as Ty pushes a boulder off of Adam's legs. I pull him out of the hole, almost crying as I see his eyes closed and that he's barely breathing. His shirt is ripped in several places as well as his pants and large burn marks streak his face. "Keep looking for the others." I command, kneeling next to Adam's unconscious body. Ty shuffles away with Husky and Ian and I put my head against Adam's chest, hearing a quiet thumping. I sigh in relief and sit back; still looking at Adam as his chest barely rises up and down. I stand up and drag him out to the grass, sitting down first and cushioning his head on my lap. I kiss his forehead and carefully set his head down on the grass, returning to the rubble to search for the others.

"Stay here." I mutter, looking back at Adam, and run over to Husky. "I need you to set up a medical tent. When we find the others, we need somewhere to heal them. Adam is over there," I jerk my thumb back at where I set Adam down, "and he's not in good shape." Husky nods and sprints over to Adam, dragging him over to an open part of the field as Ty, Ian, and I continue to search for the others. I go back to where I found Adam and keep digging hoping to find someone else. The floor suddenly collapses beneath me, but I jump to a sturdy spot in the rubble to avoid falling. I'm in enough pain as it is. I peer over the edge to see a robust wood floor surrounded by stone walls.

"Jayce…?" A quiet voice calls from inside the hole, which I quickly recognize as my basement, and my eyes dart to the source. Excitement rushes through me.

"Mak!" I cry out, my voice cracking from being hoarse, and jump down into the hole, kneeling as my sister embraces me. I cringe in pain but hug her, tears pouring out of my eyes. "I thought you were dead…" I mutter into her hair as I stroke it and she hugs me tighter, causing me to squeak in pain. She pulls back at my sudden noise and looks me dead in the eyes, hers full of concern.

"What…" Her eyes trail down to my chest, "oh my god… " She covers her mouth in surprise. "Jayce, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, I just— ugh, this is my fault."

"No, it's not, Mak. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I lead the ender man here without thinking. I put you all in danger. If anyone should be sorry, it's me." I retort, pulling her back into a hug. "The important thing is that we're alive."

"What about the others?"

"Ty and Ian are still searching the rubble of the house and we found Adam unconscious. He's still alive and Husky's tending to him. Are Jason and Tyler down here with you?"

To answer my question, Jason comes running towards me, calling my name, and engulfs me in a hug. He has a few scratches here and there, but it's nothing we can't help with. Behind him, I spot Tyler lying against the wall, either unconscious or asleep, minor scratches here and there.

"Tyler got hit in the head with some falling debris." Jason explains, catching my line of sight. "He's only sleeping right now, but it knocked him unconscious for about ten minutes. Mak, however, hasn't a scratch on her."

"Except this." She points to her cheek, a small thin cut with dried blood on the edge of it. I chuckle lightly and turn back to Jason, pulling him into a hug and ignoring my own pain.

"Thank you for keeping them safe." I mutter, tears building up in my eyes, and he hugs me back, trying to be careful of my chest.

"I had to," He replies, laughter lacing his words, "or else you would kill me." I blush, remembering the command I shouted at him during the battle.

"Let's get you guys to Husky." I state, standing up and calling up to Ty, who appears almost immediately as I call his name.

"Great, you found them!" He exclaims, and I grab a rope ladder that's sitting on the shelves of the basement, tossing it up to Ty. He understands and secures one side of the ladder and lets the other drop down so we can climb up. Mak climbs up, then Jason, and I wake Tyler and he climbs up, and I climb up last. Now we only need to find Mitch and Jerome.


	9. TC Forum!

Hey guys, it's me Sky and this isn't an actual update to the story, but don't skip it! I have put up a forum to role-play TC style in. I already have one other member that's playing Mitch's little sister and I'm playing Adam's little sister. If you would like to join, PM me and I'll see if I can set up a character for you. I don't have all the characters' persona descriptions up yet, but I will soon. I have four female and six male characters available. Don't forget to PM me which character you want to be. This is the title to the forum right here: Team Crafted Role-Play: siblings

If you wish to look at what Bailey and I already have in the story, feel free to check, but don't post until I've given you a character and your character's entry in the story. Thanks for reading guys!


	10. 9 Falling For It

I lift myself out of the hole, immense pain striking me as I do and I almost fall back down, but Ty catches me and helps me out.

"You really need to let Husky tend to you." Ty suggests.

"Not until I find Mitch and Jerome." I retort. "Jason, go to Husky and take Tyler with you. He's over there." I point to a small tent which could fit about ten people. "Mak, you'll come with me." Her eyes light up as I trudge over to a large stack of rubble. "You'll be helping me find the Benja and the Bacca." I begin shifting rocks and not too deep into our excavation, I find Mitch's hoodie, but no Mitch. I hand it to Mak and she ties it around her waist, and then returns to helping me dig.

"Come on, come on." I mutter. "Where are they?" I look at my watch: 4:57 AM. Great; the sun's not up yet. That puts us in even more danger. As I try to push against a boulder roughly the same size as me, a stinging and burning sensation strikes my chest, causing me to cry out and fall to the ground, shivering. I lift my head, finding my cheek stained in blood… _my_ blood. Mak rushes to my side as I struggle to roll onto my back, crying out in pain every time pain strikes me.

"Ty!" Mak shrieks, Ty sprinting over immediately after. He kneels down beside me, picking me up in his arms. Tears pour down my cheeks, somewhat cleaning the blood-stained one, as I scream through clenched teeth, Ty all the while carrying me over to Husky's little tent.

"Fish!" Ty yells, stepping inside the tent. Husky groans, his back turned toward us.

"I'm not a fish, Ty— what happened?" Husky asks turning around, taking his attention off of Adam, and spotting me shivering in Ty's arms. He immediately takes me from Ty and sets me down on an empty cot, my sight becoming covered by black dots as he did. Ty stands staring at me in concern and the front of the tent until Mak pulls him back out, she too giving me a nervous glance. As I watch them, I pay no attention as Husky places a large, wet washcloth on my wound, causing me to shriek in pain. He quickly takes it off, eyeing me worried.

"Jayce, if I'm going to heal this," He coos, "I need you not to scream."

"Give me a gag, then." I retort weakly, watching as he grabs a smaller washcloth and hands it to me. "Bring it on." I bite down on the smaller cloth and brace for pain. Husky places the cloth on my ripped skin again and I groan, almost coming out as a scream, biting down on the cloth. The pain begins to settle and I rest my head against the cot, taking shaky breaths.

"Now I need to take your shirt off so I can bandage the wound, okay?" Husky asks calmly and I nod, rolling my tank top so my wound is completely visible. Husky helps me to sit up and pulls out a thin white wrap bandage, wrapping around my wound and apologizing every time I wince. He finally lets me lay back down on the cot, telling me I can't go back out to help the others and walking out of the tent. I nod lightly and close my eyes, forgetting to breathe for a moment as I sigh. I listen to the chatter outside and the tent curtains suddenly part slightly, revealing Tyler with Mak standing behind him.

"Hey guys," I greet, sitting up and swinging my legs over the side of the cot, wincing, "what're you doing here? I thought you were still searching for da Benja and da Bacca."

"We wanted to see how you and Adam were doing." Tyler answers and I jerk my thumb behind me at Adam's cot, looking over myself and seeing him still unconscious. I smile weakly and turn back to Tyler.

"I'm okay, still in pain though. I have no idea what's going on with Adam and it's killing me." I inform and sending Tyler a confused look as he blushes lightly. "What…" I look down at myself, realizing that my tank top is still rolled up and resting on my shoulders, "oh…" I roll my tank top back down, a light blush dusting my cheeks and the top of the bandage peeking above my shirt line.

"Mak, Tyler!" Ty shouts worry obviously trying to be hidden.

"They're with me, Ty!" I yell back, watching as he shoots into the tent a few seconds after. He spots me and an authentic grin replaces the agonized look on his face. His eyes flicker to Mak and Tyler.

"We'll be setting up camp soon. You two can go help, if you want." Their eyes light up and they sprint out of the tent. Ty chuckles and watches them run out.

"Thank you, by the way." I say, making him spin around and raise an eyebrow.

"Thank me for what?" He asks, laughter lacing his words as he sits down next to me on the cot.

"For getting me to Husky in time; I was ready to pass out by the time you got me… here…" My words slur and my head feels as if it's filled with lead. My heads falls onto Ty's shoulder and black dots cloud my vision. My eyelids feel heavy and he turns his head to me, panicking at my current condition.

"J-Jayce…?" He asks his voice cracking. I snap back to a sitting position, blinking groggily.

"I-I'm okay, just a bit tired." Ty lays me back down on the cot and smiles down at me.

"Get some sleep." He says, leaning down and kissing my forehead, but before I can process what just happened, I fall asleep.

I groan softly as I open my eyes, finding myself still in the tent. I sit up and look over to Adam's cot; he's still there. I force myself to my feet and kneel next to him.

"Please Adam…" I plead, placing a hand on his cheek, "…wake up, please. Don't leave me here. I don't want to be the only mature one in the group. Everyone else acts like a child if we're not in danger." I chuckle lightly at my own words and Adam smiles, placing his hand atop mine and groaning softly, his eyes fluttering open. My smile grows as his eyes fall on me and a tear slips down my cheek. Adam's eyes flicker down to my chest and widen.

"What the hell did you do?!" He asks me, his voice hoarse and I smile.

"I got the full blow of the explosion. It ripped most of the skin on my chest off." He winces.

"That's gotta hurt." I nod. "So where's everyone else?" His eyes suddenly widen again. "Where's Tyler?" He tries to sit up, but winces and I push him back down lightly.

"He's fine. Everyone's okay…" My smile quickly fades. "But we haven't found Mitch or Jerome yet. At least, I don't think we have."

"What do you mean, 'don't think we have.'?"

"Well, I was in the middle of searching for them with Mak and I started bleeding badly." Adam's eyes widen and he tries to sit up. I push him back down gently again and continue with my explanation. "Ty carried me to where we are now and let Husky tend to me. I'm okay; I promise." Adam's eyes flicker to the cot as he rolls over onto his side.

"Why would you do that?" He mutters refusing to make eye contact with me as my smiles fades.

"Why would I do what?"

"You sacrificed yourself to save us. Why?" The confusion is wiped from my mind as I process what he's asking. I sigh and sit back on my knees, staring at my hands which sit on my lap.

"You guys are really the only family I have left." A tear slips down my cheek and I close my eyes. "I couldn't lose you guys, too. I couldn't live with myself if I did."

"Jayce, come here." Adam swings his legs over the side of the bed and sits up, patting the space next to him. I pull myself to my feet and sit gently beside him. His arm wraps around my waist and pulls me closer to him. I decline to look at him, so I stare at the floor and he pulls me closer so that my head is lying on his shoulder.

"I-I know this isn't really the best time to say this," Adam stutters, obviously uneasy, "but… god, how do I put this?" I turn my attention to him and lift my head off of his shoulder to face him, waiting patiently as he stares at the ground in front of him, obviously deep in thought.

"Just say it. Come on, you can tell me." I encourage, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach, a small smile on my face.

"Jayce, I love…" He says, turning his head and trailing off when his eyes lock with mine. He suddenly turns away and holds his head in his hands with a small groan of possible annoyance, seeming ashamed or embarrassed.

"Adam, I…" I start, catching his attention and he turns to me, "I just…" I sigh and step out of the tent into the damp spring night. I walk a few feet away from the tent and stop, a longing trying to pull me back to the tent. I keep my back to the tent as I begin to sing "On the Steps of the Palace" from _Into the Woods_, which seems fitting for my current situation. ( watch?v=kfmgy6pxMjs {Skip to 0:37})

"He's a very smart Prince; he's a Prince who prepares. Knowing this time I'd run from him, he spread pitch on the stairs and I'm caught unawares. Well it means that— he cares." A small smile appears on my face; Adam isn't really a prince. He acts like one, though. I shake my head to clear the thought. "This is more than just malice. Better stop and take stock while you're standing here stuck on the steps of the palace. All right, what do you want? I have to make a decision. Why not stay and be caught? Should I give that a thought? What would be his response? But then what if he knew who I am when I know that I'm not what he thinks that he wants? Or, then, what if I am what a Prince would envision? But then how can you know who you are till you know what you want, which I don't? So then which do you pick: Where you're safe, out of sight, and yourself, but where everything's wrong? Or where everything's right but you know that you'll never belong? And whichever you pick, do it quick, because you're starting to stick to the steps of the palace.

"It's my first big decision, the choice isn't easy to make. To arrive at a ball is exciting and all once you're there, though, it's scary. And it's fun to deceive when you know you can leave, but you have to be wary. There's a lot that's at stake, but I've stalled long enough, cause I'm still standing stuck in the stuff on these steps. Better run along home and avoid the collision. Though at home they don't care, I'll be better off there where there's nothing to choose, so there's nothing to lose." I end the song early, seeing as the rest of it doesn't help, and sit down on the damp grass, hugging my knees and watching the horizon illuminating with calming hues of pink, orange, and yellow. I place my forehead on my knees and sigh. Someone sits down next to me and I bring my head up, spotting Adam next to me and I blush; he obviously heard me. I hide my face between my knees and hug my knees, closing my eyes.

"J-Jayce…" Adam mutters, scooting closer to me and ignoring the shuffling behind us. I lift my head up again, but refuse to look at him and stare at the ground in front of me. He puts a finger under my chin and turns my head so that I'm facing him. My misty grey/blue eyes stare tiredly into his soft chocolate brown ones, a small smile appearing on his face as he places a hand on my cheek. "I-I wanted to say that… that I…" His eyes dart between the ground and my gaze, as if he's contemplating whether or not to do something. He sighs and pulls me onto his lap. I stare at him in concern and confusion, placing a hand on his cheek.

"I get it…" I whisper, leaning closer to him and closing the gap between us. At first, Adam only sits staring at me, stunned, but he wraps his arms around my waist, melting into the kiss. I snake my arms around his neck.

"Finally!" Someone shouts behind Adam and I glance over his shoulder, blushing furiously when I spot Tyler, Mak, and the rest of TC. I hide my face in Adam's chest and he wraps his arms around me, most likely blushing at the same intensity that I am.

"What do you mean 'finally'?" I ask obvious sarcasm in my muffled voice.


	11. 10 A Fearful Change

(Mason's POV) (Didn't see that coming did you?)

I watch with a burning hatred for Adam as he and Jayce chat with the rest of his little social group. What really kills it for me is the fact that Jayce is sitting on his lap. I stand on the tree branch, leaning against the trunk, that I have been sitting on and growl, feeling a sudden presence next to me.

"Mason," Herobrine greets, "nice to see you."

"You're little games didn't work, Herobrine." I snarl, turning to face the corrupt god.

"Give it time." He retorts. "I'm not finished with them…"

"For how long? I can't wait a few years to be with her."

"Be patient, child."

"We need to get Adam out of the picture! I'm the one who's supposed to be with her, not him!"

"Agreed, but it seems like you only want her for her power."

"No! I love her! I just want to get Adam out of the way!" I yell, rage still coursing through my veins.

"Patience, child. I have the perfect plan to get Jayce to fall for you."

I _will_ get Jayce… She _will_ be mine… _forever_.

(Jayce's POV)

As I stand on the hill, my eyes locked on the sun soaring in the sky (which isn't very high. Must be about eight or nine AM), my mind begins to wander to many things, but my train of thought is thrown off its track as I feel something in my jean pocket. I slip the thin material out of my pocket and recognize the blood red envelope; the riddle. Now that we've solved it, what does it mean? I open the envelope again, pacing back and forth as I read over the letter again aloud.

"'If you are reading this Jayce, it means you've completed the first trial. This letter is only a heads-up on your next challenge. If you can decipher this riddle, then you'll be ready for the next trial. The answer to this riddle is what you'll need most. _(I am born in fear, raised in truth, and I come to my own in deed. When comes a time that I'm called forth, I come to serve the cause of need. What am I?) _Good luck… you'll need it.'" I scratch the back of my neck, stopping to stare at the letter, reading it over again and again. "Was the mutant enderman the next challenge? Or is there something else coming?"

"Still contemplating that?" I jump at the sudden appearance of a voice and spin around, but relax once I catch sight of my little sister.

"Yes." I answer simply. "It's confusing. It doesn't specify what the actual challenge we had to prepare for was."

"Jayce," Mak sighs, crossing her arms, her eyes locked on the horizon, "you know I'm worried about this, too, but you need to stop over thinking it."

"Aw, but over thinking things is fun."

"Jayce, really?"

"Really. There's got to be something more. It couldn't have been the enderman attack."

"What else could it be, then?"

"Another trial, like the Mirror Maze..."

"True… but-" She suddenly tenses, going quiet. A sensation of being dumped in ice water abruptly washes over me; my muscles tense and my mind goes blank. My vision begins to fade and, at the last second, I snap back to reality, giving me only a moment to panic before the world fades to black.

"Welcome," a voice thunders around me, startling me into sitting up abruptly, "to your next challenge: facing your worst fears."

"So this is what we needed courage for…" I mutter to myself. I finally take a moment to gather my surroundings; I sit on the thin edge, about as thick as my shoe, of a mountain side, thousands of feet from the ground. A sudden bitter sensation washes over me, my muscles tensing and I cling to the dust-covered mound of rock behind me, shrieking. Air rushes into my lungs in short, quick breaths as I begin to hyperventilate, limiting my screams to rapid outbursts. I press myself up against the mountain, closing my eyes as tears rush into them and baring my teeth as to muffle my diminutive shouts.

"Jayce?!" My sister's voice erupts in my ear, sounding panicked, along with some static, the sound of water surging around her in the background.

"Mak?!" I yell back over the roaring winds, trying to take my mind off of the hundred story cliff I stand upon. "Mak, where are you?!"

"I don't know. There's water rushing around me."

"I could tell from the background noise."

"Where are you? It's actually hard to hear you over the wind."

"Um…" I dare to open my eyes, but quickly shut them again, the bitter sensation returning and getting stronger. "… a-a-a m-mountain."

"Right, I forgot you were afraid of heights."

"Yeah, and you're afraid of drowning. Have fun with that." A sarcastic chuckle can be heard from Mak's side of the conversation after my snide comment.

"In all seriousness, how to we get out of this?" Thinking back, my mind wanders to the message I received when first entering this place.

"Face your fear. It's that simple."

"'Simple'… excuse me?! How is that simple?!" I dare to take another glance at my surroundings, but quickly shut my eyes.

"You know what? I stand corrected." Mak's sarcastic chuckle is repeated over the line.

"Yeah, good; now, solutions? The water's up to my waist, so make it snappy!"

"For Troll Jegus' sake, don't rush me!"

"You've been reading a bit too much Homestuck lately, haven't you?"

"Oh, shut up; there is no such thing as 'too much Homestuck!'"

"Jayce, plans on survival, please!"

"Okay, okay, let me think!" I stay silent with the exception of my heavy breathing while my mind is at work. How the hell are we supposed to get out of this one?

Wait… the riddle.

My eyes snap open at the thought and I mutter, "Courage."

"What?" Mak questions, her voice slightly strained, probably because she has to hold her head up; the rushing water in the background has gotten louder.

"You have to face your fears." I state, still clinging to the mountainside as more of the cliff crumbles around my feet.

"You said that already!" Mak yells back at me.

"Just trust me, Mak! Go under the water!"

She groans before stating, "If I die, it's on you." A long intake of breath follows her statement, as well as a splash. Her end of the line is filled with static, and my breath hitches; I could've just killed my little sister. Tears rush to my eyes at the thought, and I find myself having to swallow around a lump in my throat.

"Mak…?" I manage to choke out. My only answer: silence. "M-Mak…?" Nothing. My breath hitches as more of the cliff crumbles, leaving only a few inches for me to stand on. I let go of the breath and close my eyes, clearing my mind of all fear.

And I lean forward.

I feel the wind rushing around me as I fall, filling my ears with the roaring of it. I force my eyes open and find myself unable to scream, watching as the ground gets closer and closer to me. Falling faster and faster, I squeeze my eyes shut just as I'm about to hit the ground, bracing for impact-

But nothing comes.

I hesitantly open my eyes, gasping in relief as I find myself facing and hovering inches from the surface of the ocean, walls of rock jutting up to act as walls in sight as I lift my head up to look, trapping the water. I have only a moment to shout before I drop into the water, sinking down a few feet toward the sandy bottom, bubbles trailing up from my mouth and nose. I kick off of the sand, turning myself over, and push myself back to the surface, coughing up the amount of water that had weaseled its way into my lungs once my head is above the water. A muffled scream from under the water catches my attention, and I look down to see a figure, warped in appearance from the water separating us. Only one thing comes to mind, and my eyes widen.

_"__Mak!" _I yell, and I dive back under, kicking my way through the water towards her. Hearing my cry, Mak's head snaps up to me, still kneeling and gripping something around her ankle, cheeks puffed from preserving an air supply. Seeing her strained expression floods me with worry, a mother-like protective instinct washing over me, and I force myself to swim faster, not caring that my lungs are burning and pleading for air. I finally reach the bottom, the feeling of the water around me disappearing, and I fall onto the sand. I glance at myself and notice a lining of air surrounding every inch of me, like a bubble. The panicked look in my sister's eyes is the first thing mine flicker to as I bring my head up, and I scramble to my feet, scurrying over to her. As I wrap my arms around her, my sleeves are once again soaked, but I don't pull myself away from her. I then cup her face, frantically looking over her multiple times, my panicked eyes mirroring hers. My grip tightens around her when I see her eyelids droop, her cheeks deflating and bubbles escaping from her mouth, a few flying up from her nose. I begin to panic as she falls limp, now floating in front of me, and I grip her shoulders, shaking her gently. The water level begins to fall, and I drop to my knees with Mak in my arms. Tears rush to my eyes as I see her almost lifeless; her skin pale, eyes closed, completely limp.

"M-Mackenzie…" I murmur, tears spilling down my cheeks, and cup her face, "baby, talk to me… p-please." I begin to tremble violently when I don't get an answer, my voice breaking as I plead. "Sweetheart, d-don't do this t-to me. L-Let this be another trial, p-please!" The wind roars around me, making me shiver more, and I cover my eyes as a bright light flashes in front of me and surrounds me and Mak.

I take my hand away from my eyes as I feel movement in my lap, my head snapping down to Mak. I find myself back on the hill where I was before the Fear Trials started, both me and Mak drenched. My eyes fall on my sister, drops of water spilling out of her mouth, and joy rushes through me as I spot her chest rising and falling in a smooth pattern. I hold her closer to me, burying my face in her shoulder and shuddering with every breath, dry tears staining my face.

"J… Jocelyn?" Mak's voice comes out strained as she lifts her head the slightest bit, addressing me by my full name.

"Mackenzie…" I return the gesture, my grip tightening around her. "My little girl…. You scared the sh*t out of me…"

"Wh-… What happened?" She asks, sitting up and wrapping her arms around my neck.

"The test… I thought you drowned…." I admit, hugging my little sister tighter.

"'It takes a lot more than that to kill the Avonadale family.' You said so yourself last year." She states, chuckling weakly. I laugh along with her, glad that she's alive.

"Don't scare me like that again, okay?"

"Hey, I can't control Herobrine's actions. So I make no promises."

"Yeah, yeah; just try, okay?"

"Mm-hm. I will." Mak smirks, playfully rolling her eyes at me. I chuckle, ruffling her hair.

"That's my girl."

"Hey, hey; watch the hair!"

"Jayce, Mak!" Both of our heads snap up at the shout of our names and my eyes land on Adam, Jason, Mitch and Jerome running toward us, each with a panicked look in their eyes. Seeing this, I scramble to my feet, helping Mak on to hers.

"Guys," I address the group, "what's going on? Where're the others- Ah!" I exclaim as Adam practically tackles me in a hug, holding me close. He buries his face in my shoulder and, glancing around at the group, I wrap my arms around his neck, rubbing his back in comfort.

"Can someone explain why Adam went full-on panic mode?" Mak attempts at helping me in understanding the situation, most likely curious about it herself, and glances around the group, not bothering to ask Adam, considering his current condition.

"We were coming out to check on you a while ago," Mitch explains, "but-."

"But when we came out, you two were gone." Jerome finishes for him, his eyes flickering to Jason. Jason returns his gaze and turns back to me.

"After that, we all got teleported somewhere." Jason continues, a fearful look swimming in his eyes. He shudders, which makes my eyes widen just the slightest bit. "I was in the middle of a forest, kind of like this one." He jabs his thumb at the thick forest behind him, which used to be my backyard. I sigh at the memory of the house getting destroyed. By now, Adam's tears soak my shoulder - I can feel the dampness through my jacket. - and I force him to sit on the dewed grass, the group copying my actions, their legs crossed while Adam holds me closer to him. I, being forced to sit on Adam's lap, rest my head on Adam's shoulder and look expectantly at the boys to continue.

"Uh, well," Mitch shakily carries on with the explanation, glancing at Jerome for a bit of assistance, "I… I-I…" He trails off and turns his head away, obviously not wanting to continue. Jerome reaches over and lets his hand rest on his best friend's shoulder as to comfort him, then turns to meet my gaze.

"Hunger Games," He simply states, which sends Mitch to tears, "Death match." I nod slowly, grasping the concept. "I had… something different." His eyes flicker away from mine, signaling that he didn't want his fear to be mentioned. As Mitch accidentally let a sob slip past his lips, Jerome moving closer to and wrapping his arms around Mitch, Adam's grip around my waist suddenly tightens, causing me to wince, as if his grasp already constricting enough before.

"Anyone know what happened to Adam?" I ask, slightly short of breath.

"Something involving you, Jayce," Jason guesses, "but he won't tell us exactly." I quickly nod, my eyes snapping shut as Adam's arms tauten around me once more, limiting my breathing pattern to short and quick breaths. I attempt at comforting him by rubbing his back lightly, and he relaxes slightly at my touch, allowing me to catch my breath, but still constricted.

"Adam," I manage to squeak out, "you can let go." He relaxes more, enough for me to fully catch my breath, but his arms now hang limply around my hips. He whimpers quietly, tears running down his cheeks, and begins to sway slightly. Noticing this, I cup his cheek, letting my head hover beside his.

"It's okay." My voice comes out barely above a whisper. "I'm here. I'm here." Gently, I turn his head to look at me, his now slightly puffy red eyes meeting my worry-filled ones, and rest my forehead against his. "You're okay, Adam. You're okay." With a short whimper, he quickly cups my face with trembling hands, his lips locking with mine. Stunned because it happened so quickly, I stay tense and my eyes flicker to Jason and Mak. Jason, being the goof he is, playfully covers Mak's eyes with his hand, Mak complaining to his action with a whine of "Hey!" Jason chuckles lightly at her, but doesn't remove his hand.

Rolling my eyes playfully, I turn my attention back to Adam just as he pushes me to lie down on the grass, pinning me by my wrists. I make an effort at breaking the kiss by moving my head to the side, but Adam only moves his head in sync with mine, keeping our lips connected. After a few minutes of this, Adam finally draws himself off of me, but remains hovering over my figure, panting slightly.

"I…" He begins, not really knowing what to say, "Sorry. The… trials just…" He trails off, sitting back where he originally was and staring at the ground, a mild blush dusting his cheeks. With heated cheeks myself, I attempt to casually continue the conversation.

"Anyway," I begin, moving to sit up, and Adam once again drags me onto his lap, this time burying his face in my hair and swaying lightly, "my last question: where're the others?"

"We don't know," Jerome states, speaking for Jason, Mitch and himself, "they're gone."


	12. 11 Ready, Aim, Fire

(Jayce's POV)

"Gone…?" I ask, leading the group back inside the tent. "They're just… gone?" My question receives a nod from Jason.

"We couldn't find them when we got back." He adds, sitting on his suitcase, which is turned on its side. I glance around the tent; it was barely big enough for who's here at the moment.

"We're not staying here." I say. "Not for much longer."

"Jayce," Mak's voice catches everyone's attention, all of our heads snapping to her, "You might want to hear this." My eyes flicker to the small plastic box in her hand: a radio. I step over to her, sitting beside her on one of the suitcases, and she turns up the volume so I, so everyone, can hear it. The announcement is overwhelmed with static, but still understandable.

"Most of Downtown Mynrae has been destroyed: houses torched, schools demolished. Complete devastation. This is thought, by most civilians, to be the work of legendary god of chaos Herobrine. At this point, we have no other options or ideas about what or who caused this. The remaining citizens are being harbored at the Northern End Police Station. If any survivors outside that location are listening…" The announcer pauses as if trying to find the words, "… good luck." The signal suddenly becomes nothing but static, and the group remains silent. I stand, alarming the group, and amble out of the tent toward the hill Mak and I were on earlier, making my way to the top. Over the multitude of trees, smoke rises up into the sky in the distance, no doubt part of a neighborhood, and as I watch the cloud form above the destruction, a thought crosses my mind.

"The homes he's destroyed," I sigh, "the people he's killed… how long does this have to go on?"

"Long enough, child." I spin around, stumbling back as I find myself face-to-face with those soulless white eyes that I despise. Startled, I trip over myself and land on my back, pushing myself onto my elbows and glaring at him. He simply chuckles lightly, his arms crossed behind his back, his smile growing into a smirk at my alarmed appearance.

"What are you doing here?" I question, bitterness lacing my words, as I push myself to my feet.

"Just thought I'd drop by, see how your sanity's holding up." He replies in complete casualty, his gaze flickering to the smolder in the distance. "Fascinating, isn't it? The power that fire, a single element, withholds." He steps around me, still gazing at the devastation behind me. I turn, still glowering at him.

"A power that you're using against us," I add on, my voice breaking mid-sentence, "that you're using to _kill_ innocent people, destroy civilizations!"

"Calm yourself, child." He cuts me off, turning to me with a calm expression. "I haven't killed anyone."

"Then what do you call that news report I heard not moments ago?!"

"The idiocy of the human race!" His voice thunders around me, thunder sounding moments after lighting flashed as he yelled. I stand my ground, appearing unfazed, but I'm honestly terrified of him. His steely turns soft at seeing my expression, which must show some hint of fear, and his scowl becomes a soft smile. My eyes narrow slightly; _"__why is he acting like this?"_

"But you, Jayce," He proceeds, waving a hand at my figure, "you're much different."

"How so?" I have to ask; I'm starting to get curious about his intentions.

"You have a certain…" He trails off, lightly rubbing his middle finger and thumb together, trying to find what to say, "How shall I put it? –charisma that your friends lack." He begins to circle me, his arms again crossed behind his back, but I stay in place, intrigued by what he has to say.

"As I said earlier," he continues, stopping in front of me with his hand held out to me, "the power of fire is amazing." A small, silver flame suddenly set itself alight in the palm of his hand. "But it can be overwhelming sometimes. It reminds me of you." His face suddenly contorts into a sickening grin. "And your mother…" I begin to tremble slightly and I have to bite my lip to keep it from trembling as I step back. "You all have your similarities, but what I see as a problem…" He pauses and blows lightly on the silver flame still faintly flickering in his hand, and it grows. The flame expands and forms a circle around me on the ground, charring the grass under and around it. "Like a flame," he goes on, letting his hand drop back to his side, "you're difficult to control, rebellious even." My gaze flickers from the flaming circle that's now slowly closing in on me to Herobrine's glowing eyes.

"Maybe that's a good thing on my part." I comment, not breaking the stare.

"It's really not. With rebellion comes war, and with war comes death, for both sides."

"I'm willing to die for what I believe in."

"That," He raises his hand and points to me, his face falling, "right there, is what I'm talking about."

"What? My so-called charisma?"

"Yes, precisely. It's this flaw in your character that provokes me. I hate it. I despise it. So -"

"So you kill the charismatic person." I finish for him, honestly fearing for my life.

"Yes. It's like you know –."

"Exactly what you're going to say?"

"Yes," His face falls even more so, now a scowl. "And I suggest you stop or it will -."

"Let me guess," I cut him off, "cost me my life?" By now, I can tell he's aggravated; I can practically see the steam rising from his ears and his face turning red, like a cartoon. He growls softly.

"If I hadn't vowed not to lay a finger on you, you'd be lying face down in the dirt with blood spilling from your head."

"Hmm, that's a bit graphic, don't ya think? Let's keep it PG for the kids." His hands ball into fists and he glares at me, his eyes glowing brighter; oh, how I love angering people. It's too fun. He sighs, his hands unclenching, and the flames around me fly up and return to flicker in his hand, the grass virtually untouched somehow. His soft beam returns.

"Like your father says," he begins as if the conversation that angered him hadn't even happened, "'be true to yourself, my little Ace.'" He steps forward, lifting the flame in his hand, which has converted to a light shade of lavender, and flicks his wrist toward me. The flame grows greater to resemble that of a tsunami and the fiery wave crashes down on me, sending a shiver down my spine and scorching my skin. I cry out, the pain unbearable, and crumble to the ground, screaming.

"Jayce!" Mak's voice echoes through my head as I fall limp, my vision fading as I hear her run toward me. The flames wrap around me, encasing me, and the last thing I hear is Mak screaming my name, her voice echoing in my head. Her voice is suddenly drowned out by a high-pitched ringing filling my ears. With a last call of my name heard, I pass out.

(Mak's POV)

"Jayce!" I scream my sister's name, running out of the tent upon hearing her shriek. My eyes dart around the area, finally landing on a flame coated figure lying atop the hill beside- I gasp, then growl, running up the hill toward the white eyed character, ready to attack. But he vanishes as I'm five feet from him. I curse under my breath, turning to the flaming person, my eyes widening when I realize it's my sister. I call her name and scramble over to her, the flames licking her surprisingly not giving off any heat. I fall to my knees beside her, gently grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her lightly.

"Jayce," I yell, "Jayce, can you hear me?!" No answer. I curse again. "Jayce, please! This isn't funny!" I check for a pulse, but find nothing, my voice cracking as I shout for her, and Mitch and Jerome race out of the tent, their eyes flickering to me. They don't hesitate to sprint over to me.

"Mak," Jerome calls out to me, "what the hell is going on? What the hell is that?" By this point, tears are streaming down my face.

"It's Jayce." I shout back, sobbing slightly. "It's Jayce." They finally reach me, Mitch having to pry me off of Jayce just to look at her. I scream, kicking and thrashing around in his grip, still crying out my sister's name. Mitch grabs me by the shoulders and spins me to face him, looking me dead in the eyes.

"Mak, listen to me." He cups my cheek, having to bend down a few inches to meet my gaze. "It's going to be okay. Understand?" I relax the slightest bit, trembling now more than struggling, tears still pouring down my cheeks. I nod, having to bite my lip to keep myself from sobbing and breaking down completely, and squeeze my eyes shut. "Hey, hey, look at me." My eyes snap back open and I meet his soft gaze once again. "It's going to be okay. She'll be okay." I nod again. Finally letting myself break down, I fall to my knees, sobs racking my body as I crumble to the ground. Mitch drops to his knees beside me and gathers me up in his arms, slowly swaying as to comfort me. I bury my face in his shoulder, shuddering with every breath.

"Mitch," Jerome quietly calls, "she's not breathing." I only begin to freak out more, but I keep it to myself, Mitch rubbing my back lightly.

"The fire on her is taking up too much oxygen." Mitch simply states. "Find a way to put it out."

"Guys," Jason yells from the tent, standing just outside the entrance, "we got Tyler back." I perk up. Mitch, noticing this, looks down at me.

"Go inside." He mutters to me, his arms falling limp around me. "We'll take care of Jayce." I nod, whimpering quietly, and stand, sprinting over to the tent. Jason steps out of the way, holding the flap open, as I run inside. I freeze as I catch sight of Tyler lying beside Adam; his exposed skin is littered with various burn marks, his hair singed and clothes ripped in a few places. Still a bit damp myself, I slowly step over to where Tyler's lying and sit, cross-legged, beside him, taking one of his scorched hands in mine.

"Set her down here." Jason's soft voice behind me catches my and Adam's attention, both of us glancing over our shoulders. Mitch and Jerome set Jayce, still unconscious, on the grass only a few feet behind me, a few small flames still flickering on her clothes, a few in her hair. The bandage around her chest is mostly in pieces, large holes burnt in it, and no doubt that her damaged skin is in even worse shape than it was when we lost the house. Her jacket is missing, leaving only her light blue tank top, which has a few singed holes in it, to cover her upper body. Her jeans, unsurprisingly, also are littered with charred holes, her boots drowning in ash. The tips of her hair are burnt, the ends still red-hot from the flames, but not much of her hair has been taken off, only about one inch. Small patches of her skin on both her face and right arm have been burnt through and are seeping with blood, but only miniscule drops, like pin pricks.

I shudder at the thought; I hate needles. I've always had a fear of them. I sigh, turning my head back to Tyler to prevent myself from tearing up, but it's of no use; as I blink, tears catch on my eyelashes, blurring my vision slightly, and my eyes sting somewhat.

"Jayce is right." Jerome states, now sitting on his case, slouched. "We can't stay here for long. But we have to wait for the others."

"Agreed," Jason utters, glancing at both Jayce and Tyler. Adam, now curling up beside Jayce on his side and staring at her achingly, hasn't said a word. "We can see if we can get any supplies from the school. Weapons, armor, materials; anything we can find."  
"Should we wait for a couple more people to get back, or just send off a small group to the school?" Mitch questions, obviously curious about the game plan, but no one answers.

"Jayce would know what to do." I murmur, lightly rubbing Tyler's hand with my thumb. Honestly, I've felt affectionate toward him these past few days. I just can't control myself. Ha, ha; very funny, hormones. Now stop it.

My statement is met with soft responses of "Yeah" or "Right". I lift my head, getting an idea. We could send off two or three to the school and the rest would stay here. That way, we'd be prepared when the others come back. A ghost of a smile appears on my face; I'm thinking like my sister.

"We send off a small group to the school now." I decide, bringing my head up more and I turn to face the group, still clutching Tyler's hand. "We'll be prepared to move locations with the supplies ready."

"Jayce would be proud…" A hoarse and scratchy voice compliments from behind me, my hand being gently squeezed, and I spin back around, finding Tyler pushing himself to sit up. I beam and throw my arms around him, thinking about what he said.

_"__Yes. She would be proud."_


	13. 12 A New Addition

(Mak's POV)

I get to my feet after letting go of Tyler, grabbing my stone sword from my bag, and face the group once again.

"Mitch, Jason, you two will come with me to the school to gather supplies." I instruct, grabbing a satchel from my luggage and slinging it over my shoulder. "Jerome, you and Adam will watch over Jayce and Tyler. Help any other TC member that comes back while we're gone."

"Just like her sister." Jason chuckles and grabs his own weapon, causing me to blush lightly.

"Let's move out." Mitch says his bow in hand with a quiver of arrows slung around his torso. I nod and depart the tent, waiting for Mitch and Jason outside.

After about half an hour of walking, the school comes into view. Or, at least, what's left of it. Most of the walls have crumbled into debris, leaving nothing but fractions of the building still standing. Piles of rubble stand between halls and classrooms, the courtyard littered with cracked glass and window frames, broken cinder blocks from the walls and chipped locker doors that have flown off of their hinges.

"Search your own locker first." I direct, climbing over one of the piles of broken and charred cinder blocks and locker doors. "Then search the classrooms for supplies. Meet up in the courtyard after." Mitch and Jason nod, Mitch trailing after me since his locker is in the same hall as mine. Sighing, and coughing due to the large amount of ash polluting the air, I hop down off of the wreckage into what's left of my hall, Mitch on my left as Jason ventures off to his own locker, and I'm somewhat relieved as I find my locker still fairly intact; the locker door is, surprise, charred and barely hanging off of its bottom hinge so that it's set at a strange angle, jutting out into the hall.

"Well, at least my stuff is still alive." I point out, my voice barely above a whisper, and advance toward the sea green locker, its door collapsing as I reach it and startling me; I jump back, yelping. Mitch, hearing my call of distress, snaps his head to me, drawing his attention away from raiding his own locker.

"Mak, you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…" I nervously reply, my eyes locked on the bent locker door at my feet, "my stupid locker door just tried to assassinate my foot."

"That's a sentence you don't hear every day." He remarks, turning back to dig through the contents of his locker. My heart aches at his comment; Jayce and I used to say that so much when we were younger that our parents called it our catchphrase. My heart aches even more at the thought of my parents. They're gone, and Jayce might be, too, when we arrive back at camp. I gingerly remove my magenta-frame glasses and rub my eye with the heel of my hand, feeling tears sting my eyes and accidentally letting a sob slip past my lips. I'm just a kid. I shouldn't have to go through this.

I sense an unexpected warmth embracing me and glance up, not moving my head by much; Mitch has taken me in his arms, most likely having heard my weeping, and rests his head on mine, swaying slightly with me in his grasp. Shuddering as I sigh, I return his hug, burying my face in his chest as tears start to stream down my face. I can practically hear Jayce's taunting voice; _"__Ha! Shipping!" _

But it only causes more tears to fall.

"I want J-Jayce to wake up…" I wail, having to say my sister's name almost killing me.

"She will, Mak." Mitch coos, rubbing light circles on my back. "She will."

"Who are you?" An unfamiliar voice shouts; a female, her voice somewhat deep for a woman's. "What're you doing here?" She sounds fuming, which forces me to pull myself away from Mitch, my hand flying to my sword in my belt. My eyes flicker to the north end of the hall where a figure stands in the shadows, and yet a faint glow emits from where I believe to be her chest; most likely a necklace of some sort. From what I can tell, she's about six feet in height. The light bounces off of a metal surface begin held in front of her: a sword pointed at Mitch and me.

"Answer the question." She demands, enunciating to get the message across.

"Mitchell Hughes." Mitch casually declares, raising his hand; goofball.

"My name is Mackenzie Avonadale." I proclaim, drawing my sword. "State your name."

I hear a low growl before she states, "Alice. Alice Clensin." Ooh, attitude. "Now what are you doing here?"

"Gathering supplies," Mitch steps forward as he answers, "for our group."

"There are more of you?" Her sword lowers ever so slightly, her gaze softening almost unnoticeably.

"Yes," I reply, pausing, "step into the light."

"Are you Mak, or Jayce?" Mitch whispers to me, smiling at my resemblance to my sister. A heavy sigh comes from the shadows and Alice takes a few steps forward to reveal herself. She appears about eighteen or nineteen, but the first thing I notice about her is her eyes, shining a brilliant emerald green, framed by pale skin, her nose dotted with subtle freckles. Her whole face is bordered by hair as black as night, ending in large curls at about her shoulder-blades, with a black, most likely leather, jacket to match. Underneath said jacket is a shirt the same radiant green as her eyes with a silver chain hugging her neck, an actual emerald lined with silver as the charm; so that's what was giving of the faint green glow. Skinny jeans matching the background hue of a Microsoft Word document cling tight to her lower figure, black boots covering most of them since the boots reach up to just below her knees.

All in all, she looks pretty bad-ass.

"So," Alice begins, resting a hand on her hip as she lets her other arm, the one wielding her sword, drop to her side, "you have a group?" I nod. "How many?"

Mouthing my analysis of the group as I think about it, I answer with, "Ten."

"Ten?" Alice whistles softly. "That's quite a group. And they've sent a group of two to scout of supplies?" I nod, sighing as I rub my arm gently.

"A set of about four or five would've worked better."

"We're up against Herobrine." Mitch states, crossing his arms. "Three of our company are being held captive in their worst nightmares, and one of our own is half dead back at camp. That's why we only sent three." I flinch at the words "half dead", my mind immediately going to Jayce.

"You're up against a corrupt god?" Alice tilts her head to the side slightly, and I'm not sure whether she's impressed, thinks we're delusional or idiotic, or none of the above; maybe she just doesn't believe us. "You have a death wish." Never mind; she thinks we're psychotic.

He killed my parents!" I suddenly yell, surprising even myself at my outburst. "That's how I got dragged into this! I didn't ask to face death every second of my life, okay?" My voice cracks at the end, and tears sting my eyes again. "And now most of my family is dying or dead! I'm just a kid!" Mitch wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him in comfort as I hold myself back from crying out my sister's name.

"You're Jayce's sister right… Mackenzie, was it?" I nod weakly, my gaze flickering back to meet Alice's. "Yeah, I sat beside your sister in math." I perk up slightly.

"S-So you're a friend of my sister's?"

"Friend? Heh, no. More like peer." There's that attitude again.

"Oh… But you know her?"

"We talked a bit."

_So that's a yes, _I mentally note.

"Alice?" The call of a silkier, kind voice, lighter than Alice's, makes me and Mitch, not to mention Alice, perk up. Echoing footsteps in what's left of the hall behind her startle me, my hand flying to the handle of my sword where it rests in its sheath dangling from my belt. Too be honest, Jayce has taught me a bit too well. Alice, noticing my defensive measures, only titters.

"Sheath the metal, kid." She insists, placing a hand on her own sword handle hanging from her black leather belt, jutting her hip out slightly. The soft swishing of another blade being stashed catches my attention and my own grip tightens around the leather handle.

"A-Alice?" The honey-like voice cries out again, sounding panicked. It reminds me of me when I was younger and I couldn't find Jayce in the house. I sigh at the memory – I just want Jayce to wake up.

"Over here, Jaden." Alice directs to the unknown voice, and a figure looms from the darkness beside her. Noticeably shorter than her, Alice has to crane her neck down to look at the girl.

"I've told you, Ali. Call me Jada!" The girl complains, her child-like face twisted into a playful scowl. Olive green eyes sparkle with hints of silver are hidden behind a wavy and lengthy fiery red and dirty blonde mane reaching down to about her mid-waist. The vibrancy of her hair differs with the pale shade of her skin, which is littered with multiple faded scars I'm assuming came from battle with something. A vivacious electric blue hooded jacket coats her upper body, underneath lies a somewhat loose black and white checkered top with a couple small pockets at the base lining – possibly for holding potions or small weapons. Clinging to the girl's lean legs is a pair of light blue skinny jeans, scratches in them exposing the skin of her knees. A pair of bright red sneakers shield her feet, the edges of the white socks beneath barely peeking out.  
I don't think stealth is this girl's forte – and yet, I didn't see her when Mitch and I were searching around earlier. Touché.

"Yeah, yeah." Alice ruffles the girl- Jada's hair and chuckles softly, Jada swatting her hand away playfully. More quiet footsteps alert me, and another girl, between Jada's and Alice's heights, leaps out of the darkness and onto Jada.

"I found ya!" She exclaims, pinning Jada by her shoulders to the tile, with a triumphant grin plastered on her face. A curtain of long honey-blonde hair with a lively red streak running through it drapes down around her neck, landing in a stringy pattern on the tile – my guess is it reaches to about to her hips, even in that high ponytail. Like Alice, almost unnoticeable freckles dot her nose and cheeks, and her eyes are virtually the same despite the flecks of brown in the newcomer's. A brown tartan jacket covers the simple white shirt underneath, a pair of brown shorts matching the hue of brown with pitch black skin-tight leggings underneath. A pair of hiking boots in a shade between brown and black blanket her feet, stained with a bit of mud and debris.

"Geez, Erin!" Jada yelps - so that's her name. "Was that really necessary?"

"Yes." Erin answers, smiling as if it was a triumph – to her, I'm guessing it is. Jada, pinned under her, simply chuckles and pushes her off. Erin's gaze flickers up to Mitch, and what she does next makes me smirk as I glance at Mitch – she blushes. Mitch's cheeks darken to just about the same crimson as hers, and I try to stifle my laughter. Obviously hearing my attempt, both Mitch and Erin glare playfully at me, Mitch nudging me.

"Anyway," Mitch attempts at hiding his blush, still somewhat glowering at me, "let's get back to what we were doing."


End file.
